One of the first things I noticed as I was flying into Italy was the different types of plants I saw, even from my window seat on the airplane. One type of tree that really stood out to me was the "umbrella pine," also known as the "stone pine," which are an iconic symbol of Italy.
The tree gets its name from its unique shape! Umbrella pines resemble umbrellas because the trunk is long, tall and thin without any branches until the very top of the tree, where they spread out like the top of an umbrella. The trunk has bark that can vary in color -- sometimes looking like a medium gray, other times like a light brown. These trees are very tall, and because of their unique shape, they offer a lot of shade! The top of the tree doesn't actually have leaves, but instead it has pine needles that grow in bundles together. Because the trees grow needles and not leaves, they're always green! They're usually a beautiful, lush green, but can look lighter if the sun is shining on them in the right way. In addition to needles, these trees also produce nuts that can be harvested and eaten. I haven't seen them for sale yet, but I'll keep my eye out to try some!
