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How long can reproduction take in pine trees from pollination to seed maturity?
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Gymnosperm
Pine cone and exposed seeds of the pinyon pine (Pinus edulis). Pinyon pines are gymnosperms and bear their edible seeds, known as pine nuts, in protective cones instead of fruit.
In pine trees, the reproductive process is a lengthy cycle that spans two full growing seasons.12
Following pollination in the spring, the pollen tube begins to grow, but fertilization does not occur until approximately 14 months later, during the spring of the following year. After fertilization, the female cone continues to develop, and the seeds typically reach maturity by the late summer of that second year. Consequently, the entire process from the initial pollination to the liberation of mature seeds generally takes place over a period of two to three years.123