Irie Orchard · Plant guides

Chilgoza pine

Pinus gerardiana

The pine nut of Kinnaur and Kashmir; slow, dry-slope tree with big sweet seeds.

Good for: food, wildlife.

Native to: Himalaya & Indian hill country. Hardy in zones 6 to 9.

The story

Chilgoza pine nuts have been gathered in the dry valleys of Kinnaur, Kashmir and Afghanistan for centuries, climbed for by whole villages each autumn and sold as the most expensive nut in the Delhi dry-fruit market; the trees are shared by lineage and protected by custom.

Planting

Full sun, dry, rocky, drained soil, cold winters and dry summers; a slow tree to 60 feet. Plant young in a dry mountain climate.

Growing

Water the first summers, then never; it dies in humidity and wet soil. No pruning.

Harvest and use

Cones ripen in autumn in alternate years; knock them down, dry until they open, and shell the long, sweet nuts.

What to watch for

Humid summers, and the long wait of 20 years.

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More nut trees

• Himalayan hazel
• Pehuén (monkey puzzle)
• Avellano (Chilean hazelnut)
• Tahitian chestnut (mape, ivi)
• Chilean wine palm
• Katus (Indian chestnut)

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home