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Common Name:
Scots Pine
Family:
Pinaceae
Entry Author: Jeff Chichester.
Description: The Scots Pine's shape is variable and depends largely on its age. When the tree is young it has an irregular pyramidal shaped crown transforming into a domed crown as the tree ages.
Needles: The needles appear as a dull blue/green color in clusters of two or occasionally three, they grow up to 3.5 inches long.
Cones: Tawny colored cones that usually grow pointing toward the trunk commonly reach a length of 2.5 inches and are equipped with a small prickle at the end of each scale.
Bark: The bark has a red/orange color in the upper trunk, which peels off into papery flakes. The trunk becomes a gray brown color closer to ground level.
Branching Pattern: Horizontally spreading
Height: Scots Pines can reach heights of 150 feet.
Life Span: The oldest known tree of this species is at least 711 years old. It is growing in Muddus National Park in Sweden.
U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone: 2
Conditions/Habitat/Kind of Forest: Scots Pine prefers well drained, deep, moist, soils, but also does well in sterile sands and thin soils. It usually grows in vast pure stands in poor soil conditions, but can be found growing with Norway Spruce, Silver Fir, and European Larch when soil conditions are more favorable.
Range: Scots Pine is native to Europe and is found over much of the continent, and into northern Asia. The tree can also be found in southeast Canada into northeast U.S. as a result of naturalization.
Conservation Status: Low risk of becoming endangered.
Uses (Human): Scots Pine is widely used throughout Europe for general construction purposes.
References:
Collingwood, G.H., Brush, W. (1964). Knowing Your Trees. Washington D.C.: The American Forestry Association.
University of Bonn.
http://www.botanic.uni-bonn.de/conifers/pi/pin/attenuata.htm
I.U.C.N Redlist of Endangered Species
http://redlist.org
