Pinus

Pinus mugo (cones)

Pinus pinea

Pinus sylvestris (cone)

General description: Pines are evergreen, resinous trees (or rarely shrubs) growing 3–80 m tall, with the majority of species reaching 15–45 m tall. The smallest are Siberian Dwarf Pine and Potosi Pinyon, and the tallest Sugar Pine. Pines are long-lived, typically reaching ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more. The longest-lived is the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva, one individual of which, at around 4,800 years old, is one of the world’s oldest living organisms.

Common name: Pine

Family: Pinaceae

Height: 45 m.

Aspect: sunny

Soil requirements: acid soil; sandy; good drainage

Why we use in horticulture: evergreen tree

Notes: Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, paneling, floors and roofing, and the resin of some species is an important source of turpentine