The young bark is thin and red-orange, maturing to grey-brown to orange in color, fissured to flaky in texture.

[2][4] The needles come in fascicles of two and rarely three,[2][5] the latter specimens showing similarities in cone structure to the related Pinus canariensis.

[citation needed] P. brutia is resistant to the Israeli pine bast scale insect Matsucoccus josephi and is a major host for Thaumetopoea caterpillars.

[12] It forms ectomycorrhizal associations with numerous species of fungi, and its logs and branches are excellent substrates for many kinds of decomposing organisms.

Under normal circumstances, this insect does no significant damage to the pine, but is of great importance for the excess sugar it secretes.

The "Lone Pine", a prominent landmark tree at an ANZAC First World War battle at Gallipoli, was this species.

[13] It is widely planted for timber, both in its native area (it is the most important tree in forestry in Turkey and Cyprus) and elsewhere in the Mediterranean region east to Pakistan.

Pinus brutia is a popular ornamental tree, extensively planted in parks and gardens in hot dry areas (such as southern California, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada, as well as throughout Arizona and central Texas in the United States), where its considerable heat and drought tolerance is highly valued.

The subspecies eldarica is the most drought tolerant form, used in Afghanistan, Iran and more recently in the Southwestern United States.