Pine Cones In The Process Of Being Made

Have you ever wondered how Pine Cones are actually made. I hadn't really given it much thought until I was out and about not long ago collecting some Alder seeds. I noticed these "Brown things" on a Corsican Pine and thought, what the hell are they? Not knowing what they were, I thought they looked like a load of brown worms all cuddled together. After picking some off (Just a tiny bit) and breaking it apart, I then thought they were the seeds of the Pine tree!. As you probably guessed, I'm no Pine expert.

After some research, I discover that these brown things are Pine Cones being made / formed. To begin with they are really soft to the touch, but obviously the end result is a solid Pine Cone! Amazing. I think its fascinating the way that trees can muster the energy and generate the resources to make such things. From Pine Cones, to hard nut shells, and stones from fruits like the Plum and Peach. Hope you like the images of the young Pine cones. Click on the images to enlarge for a closer look.