Scots Pine

LEAVES: Needles 2 per cluster, 1½” – 3½” long, bluish-green or dark green stout, twisted, circular in cross-section.

TWIGS: Fairly stout, brittle, dark yellowish-gray, smooth.

FRUIT: Cones 1½” – 2½” long, short-stalked, solitary or in pairs, usually pointing backward, grayish or reddish color.

BARK: Scaly, peeling off in flakes from ridges separated by long shallow fissures. Lower trunk rough and grayish, upper trunk rather smooth and distinctly reddish.

GENERAL: Native to Europe, tolerant of various soil and moisture conditions but intolerant of shade. Typically reaching 70′ in height it can attain 120′ with a diameter of 3′-5′. Widely planted for reforestation and horticulture, with occasional escapes from cultivation. Older books sometimes call it Scotch pine.