Are these pollen cones?

[WIlliam_Butler_Yeets]

Hey folks, one of my 2 JBP is absolutely covered in these items this spring. I'm guessing these are pollen cones but not completely sure? Almost every single thing growing off the tree right now is these and I do not see any normal candles like my other JBP has, although there are some small bundles of needles coming out of single buds in a couple spots. Do I need to do anything with these and will it progress to actually making new needles later?

 

[rockm]

Yep

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

These look like needle sheaths about to open.
Pollen sacs form at the base.

 

[Dav4]

You've got 4 candles that are extending, 1 strong central one and 3 much smaller ones to the side, and the needles on all the candles are about to start growing. As Brian said, pollen cones show up at the base below the needled portion of the candle.

 

[WIlliam_Butler_Yeets]

You've got 4 candles that are extending, 1 strong central one and 3 much smaller ones to the side, and the needles on all the candles are about to start growing. As Brian said, pollen cones show up at the base below the needled portion of the candle.

huh, okay! they just look so much different from the candles on my other one

 

[Wulfskaar]

Are these cones? If so, what do I do with them?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Are these cones? If so, what do I do with them?

View attachment 593710

Those are the seed-bearing pine cones. They’ll grow if you let them. Usually I remove them just as part of shortening long candles.

 

[Shibui]

Sometimes shoots get confused and can make lots of male cones but the first picture looks more like odd needles. If you look at the lower left shoot you can see the needles starting to emerge from very similar buds. Let them grow and see what emerges.

Are these cones? If so, what do I do with them?

Female cones which will grow into seed cones if left.
Need to be aware that it takes 18 months for seed cones to mature in Fall. If you want the cones you can't prune this summer or next summer. Cones mature whether they are pollinated or not. If not pollinated all the seeds will be empty.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Sometimes shoots get confused and can make lots of male cones but the first picture looks more like odd needles. If you look at the lower left shoot you can see the needles starting to emerge from very similar buds. Let them grow and see what emerges.


Female cones which will grow into seed cones if left.
Need to be aware that it takes 18 months for seed cones to mature in Fall. If you want the cones you can't prune this summer or next summer. Cones mature whether they are pollinated or not. If not pollinated all the seeds will be empty.

I was considering keeping them, just to watch and learn, and maybe get some seeds out of it.

Would they have to be pollinated already? I have not had pollen cones for 2 years that I'm aware of.

 

[Shibui]

Would they have to be pollinated already? I have not had pollen cones for 2 years that I'm aware of.

Those female cones are from this Spring. They will be receptive when the male cones open to release pollen. Not sure what time yours open but they all seem to know the correct week to do it.
If you don't have any male pollen donors you'll need to get some from elsewhere. Without a pollen donor you cannot get seed (birds and bees 101)
Male cones seem to all choose a warm day in Spring to open. As you brush past a tree, clouds of yellow pollen drift out of the cones. Occasionally I take a plant with male cones releasing pollen to one with female cones and shake the male above the female cone tree to allow pollen to waft down over the female cones. It may be possible to collect pollen on a small paintbrush or similar and use that to smear pollen over the female cones. I've done that with other species but I haven't tried it with pines.

Might just be more trouble than it is worth for 3 cones and you cannot be certain you'll even get fertile seed for another 18 months.