Shelly, I decorate with winter botanicals to make seasonal wreaths. I also teach classes how to select and use material to form a wreath. I look forward to sharing this in my classes! Thank you, it feels good to understand nature better! When I used to live outside of Madrid, Spain, there was a huge pine tree which pinon tree full of nuts which we use to pick out of the cones and eat...it was like eating meat! Very sweet and satisfying to eat. YOur article reminded me of those wonderful memories, and now you only made it better! Thanks again

Baby food jar, silica desiccant packet (comes with shoes etc) and put in freezer. Let warm up to room temp before opening and using, so you don't get condensation on the cold glass. I'd pop the whole pollen cone in when it matures keith

Definitely not P. smithiana, which as well as the longer, slenderer needles Bboy mentions, also has more fusiform cones (fusiform = tapered at the ends, not cylindrical), with thicker, slightly prominent (not smoothly adpressed) scales: Also definitely not P. spinulosa, which is very different (needles slender, white on lower side, on pendulous shoots, and very different cones). Picea asperata also differs in slenderer cones with a more rhombic scale apex, and glaucous-grey needles, not green. Beng's comments "One w/similar needles is P. obovata (Siberian), but cones aren't as big as yours" are very relevant; P. alpestris has often been compared with P. obovata, and is treated as a variety of it by some authors [P. obovata var. alpestris (Brügger) A.Henry], but does differ in its larger cones. I'm still sticking with P. alpestris for this mystery tree. Where is it growing? Resin

"Will the green ones be ripe this year? Perhaps after a few frosts? They are ripe when they turn brown, right?" Yes. I'd leave them another month or so on the tree to ripen fully. Then harvest, and extract seeds as per previous threads on the topic! "In young trees male cones often precede females" - agree; seems to be particularly true of cedars. Resin