Tiny Pines project

I discovered the ‘mother tree’ 20 years ago when undertaking research for a Stirling University project.

I discovered that the microwaves from a nearby communications mast had caused some of the pine cones to mutate. The seedlings produced Pine trees which failed to mature. These seedlings were then genetically modified by the team at Stirling University to produce a miniature Pine Tree. It was originally developed to provide a fast growing source for pine-tree smell to be used in the fragrance industry but in very little time its usefulness in other areas became obvious. The tiny frail Pine has a concentrated but subtle pine aroma. Anyone who has used car air fresheners from Magic Tree ® will have used the extract from these pines.Their latest aroma in the Forest Fresh range adding a new dimension to in-car freshness is noted to have a hint of orange.

The location of the 'mother tree' is kept secret for confidentiality and patent issues. There are no known surviving 'tiny pines' left in the wild. All the ones used now are cultivars reared in temperature controlled environments. However all the current trees are genetic descendants from the original 'mother tree'.