Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Family: Pinaceae
Native to Scotland and the only native British pine. Flaking grey and reddish bark. Needles in pairs, 10-14cm when young 4-8cm when mature. Buds resinous. Male flowers yellow, female pink-purple, May-Jun. Cones green in first year, then grey-brown, pointed oval, 3-7cm.
Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) is Britain’s only other naturalized pine (in Dorset). It has longer needles, 15-20cm and longer, prickly, shiny brown cones, 10cm.
Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra laricio) and Austrian Pine (P.n.nigra) occur in plantations parks and gardens. They have dark grey bark. Corsican Pine has long pale green needles (10-18cm) while in Austrian Pine they are 8-12cm and dark green.
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), introduced in 1851 as a forestry species, has dark red-brown bark, needles 3-10cm, cones small 2-5cm with a small prickle at the end of each cone scale.
All images on this page obtained late April at Inshriach Forest (Cairngorms NP)
Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) is Britain’s only other naturalized pine (in Dorset). It has longer needles, 15-20cm and longer, prickly, shiny brown cones, 10cm.
Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra laricio) and Austrian Pine (P.n.nigra) occur in plantations parks and gardens. They have dark grey bark. Corsican Pine has long pale green needles (10-18cm) while in Austrian Pine they are 8-12cm and dark green.
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), introduced in 1851 as a forestry species, has dark red-brown bark, needles 3-10cm, cones small 2-5cm with a small prickle at the end of each cone scale.
All images on this page obtained late April at Inshriach Forest (Cairngorms NP)