Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris HISTORY
The scots pine is also known as the scotch pine or a fir in England, but the scots pine is not a fir by definition. Its Latin name, Pinus sylvesris, means “pine of the woods.” This tree is native across Europe and north Asia, south to Turkey. It is naturalized in southeast Canada and in the United States from New England west to Iowa. Though beautiful when young, this tree is not long-lived in the United States, as it is often threatened and killed by diseases and pests at the age of 30 to 40 years. This native pine of the Scottish Highlands is one of the most important European timbers. In the 1660s, England used the scots pine for ship masts, most of which were imported from Russia, Sweden and the Baltic countries. This was not an ideal use of the scots pine. Due to its small size, scots pines were pieced together to a satisfactory mast for British battleships. In addition, their availability was not dependable because of political relationships with foreign monarchies. It was introduced to the United States in 1752 as an ornamental tree, and later it was widely used in reforestation projects.
PRODUCTS & USES
In the past, the tree’s water-resistant wood was used for ship masts and water wheels. The resin from the bark was used to make tar and turpentine. Today, it is planted as an ornamental tree in parks or for Christmas trees—30 percent of the 35 million Christmas trees harvested annually are scots pine. This tree is also planted as a windbreak in prairies and as a way to control erosion. It is used in reforestation projects as well.
WEB OF LIFE
The Cones & Needles of the Scots Pine
The scots pine is shade-intolerant and can grow on any upland soil but thrives on sandy and clay-rich soils. It is typically found in forests with the black cherry, red maple, sugar maple, American beech, quaking aspen and eastern white pine.
DRAWING: KEVIN GILL
DESCRIPTION
The most distinguishing characteristics of this tree include its twisted needles, which are in bundles of two, dull blue-green in color and sharply pointed. It is also known for its orange-red, flaky bark and jagged, fat cones.
The scots pine comes in contact with many insects and lichens, which grow around and in the cracks of trunks. Some of these insects and lichens include the stump lichen, the narrow headed ant and the Scottish wood ant. Birds found in and around the scots pine include the siskin, great spotted woodpecker, great crested tit and cross bill. The tree is a great nesting place for birds of prey such as the golden eagle, osprey and goshawk. Red squirrels nibble on cones and seeds.
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Height: 70’ Diameter: 2’ and much larger with age Needles: In bunches of two, bluish-green to grayishgreen, twisted, stiff and sharply pointed. The needles are slightly spread apart. Bark: Mid- to upper crown, the bark is orange-brown and flaky. On the lower stem, it is grayish- to reddish-brown and has long, loose, scaly plates. Twigs: Slender, reddish- to orange-brown and eventually becoming grayish-brown. The twigs are hairless. Cones: Immature cones appear between late May and early June, 1 ¼-2 ½” long, egg-shaped, pale yellow-brown and open to mature cones with thin, grayish-brown, flattened scales with a light prickle. Thick at the tip with foursided, districted, curved points.
The scots pine is subject to many damaging PHOTO: DREA KASIANCHUK agents that could harm or kill the tree. Fire can damage young trees, and severe windstorms may snap off tree nodes. Pests that often harm the tree are the pine weevil (Hylobius radicis), which attacks the base of the tree and kills it within three to four years, and the pine root tip weevil (Hylobius rhizophagus), which feeds on the roots and root tips, reduces the height of the tree and eventually kills it. The European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer) can cause moderate damage to Christmas trees and ornamental plantings, and it reduces the growth of the tree by 10 to 20 percent. Lower Bark
Upper Bark