Scotch Pine Pinus sylvestris
General Information: The scotch pine is an evergreen conifer that is native to northern parts of Eurasia. It was brought to the United States where it has been successful in growing in many northern states including Minnesota. Young scotch pine trees are often harvested for their pyrimidal shape and used as Christmas trees. As scotch pines mature, they lose their pyramidal shape and become very irregular. They can grow up to 100 feet tall and can live 150-300 years. (http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pisy.pdf)
Needles: The needles of the scotch pine are usually between 1-3 inches in length. They are attached in bundles of two, and have a green-bluish tint. They can be identified by their color and twist. (http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/scotch-pines)
Bark: The bark of scotch pines starts out brownish, and as the tree grows becomes reddish. In mature trees the upper bark is reddish and smooth while the lower bark is brownish and fissured. (http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pisy.pdf)
This picture shows both the reddish and brown-fissured barks of the scotch pine. (http://www.cbgreu.org/sites/default/files/users/breonnaslocum/IMG_1979_0.JPG)
Cones/Seeds: The male reproductive parts of scotch pine are yellow colored and are called staminates. They emerge in the springtime with the growth of new buds. The female reproductive parts are pinkish and are called pistillates. The female parts are already mature when the male parts develop, and are pollinated by mid-spring. The pollen is released from the male staminates and is blown to the female pistillates by the wind. The result of fertilizatioon of the scotch pine is a small cone that is mostly circular and about two inches in diameter. It takes two years to develop after fertilization. Once the cone is developed, each cone scale protects an internal seed. The cone opens and the seeds are released and float up to 100m away from the tree before hitting the ground with the help of an attached wing. (http://ohiodnr.com/forestry/trees/pine_scotch/tabid/5410/Default.aspx)
Interesting Facts:
– The scotch pine has the largest geographic distribution of any pine tree.
– Due to resin in the bark, scotch pines can remain standing for 100 years after they die.
– Scotch pines are used as Christmas trees because their needles fall out less than those of Douglas firs.
Range:
St Thomas Trees 
