I was given this seed/fruit by a friend who found it on a walk through the countryside. I have no clue what plant it is from and want to plant it. I'm from Ireland but I'm pretty sure it is not a native species, Ireland has a lot of old plantations with many imported trees growing there. One thing I'm certain of is that it is evergreen and has piney needles as you can see from the top of the seed.
Anyone know what tree it is from?
Well it's an unripe pine cone, much more mundane than the exciting suggestion of 'a pineapple grown near a nuclear power plant', sadly - though not necessarily from the Pinus family. The trouble is, to be absolutely sure what tree it is, you'd need to examine the foliage closely and to look at the overall growth habit. This cone is obviously very fresh, it hasn't even quite finished forming properly, and the colour does change as it matures; there's also no point of reference to determine its overall size. Even without those definite pointers though, because of its barrel shape and patterning, I'm fairly sure it's a Cedrus (Cedar), possibly Cedrus atlantica 'glauca'. Because its not fully mature, the seeds inside likely won't be either - best go back and get another one when they fall naturally, or have lost any hint of green. They take up to two years from growth initiation to full maturity.
UPDATE: I just read that air drying under cover might allow the seeds to ripen - when its ready, the cone should disintegrate, or start to disintegrate, allowing access to the seeds.
This an immature Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) — which is not a true fir — cone recognizable by its pitchfork bract. It is not a pine, but a monospecies.
