Pines: The Unloved Trees Blamed for Unsightly Coasts

Pines are being labeled "da repelús" trees due to their appearance and the disorder they cause, particularly in coastal areas.

For some, pines embody the unpleasant side of the plant world. They are criticized for a silhouette described as "rigid, dry, and surly," with twisted trunks and "desperately" sprawling branches. Their foliage, far from vibrant, is seen as a "dirty, dull green." Even spring offers no respite, merely releasing a "sticky rain of yellow pollen" and pinecones that, from this perspective, stick into the ground like "tiny projectiles."

## The Coastal Invasion

The controversy intensifies when these trees are planted near beaches. The argument is that instead of enhancing the coast's natural beauty with open light, sand, and clear horizons, their presence is "intolerable." The resulting image is a beach "framed by a dark, dense, and monotonous mass" that, according to critics, "steals light," casts "long shadows," and transforms a landscape that should be "bright" into something "enclosed, oppressive, and visually dirty."

## The Trail of Grime

Beyond aesthetics, the accumulation of pine needles under the trees is another point of contention. These fallen leaves form a "brown, slippery carpet" that, it is noted, "kills almost all other vegetation." The ground beneath a coastal pine is described as "always dead, acidic, and hostile." And when the wind blows, the needles fly onto the sand, "mixing with it and leaving that permanent feeling of abandonment." For those who share this view, pines, especially those by the sea, "mar a landscape with almost malicious effectiveness," acting as the vegetal equivalent of an ugly building in front of a beautiful view.