Tolerance to metal stress was studied in seedlings of three pine species (Pinus radiata, P. pinaster and P. canariensis) under controlled ex vitro conditions. Mature female cones were randomly collected at two sites in Chile (Llico and Huilquilemu) characterized by contrasting environmental conditions. One-year-old pine seedlings were immersed in trays with solutions of CuSO4 (300 mM) or AlCl3 (100 mM), and their survival, growth rate and decay symptoms were recorded for 60 days. Results showed large differences among provenances in seedling tolerance to CuSO4 and AlCl3 in terms of survival and growth. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association (p