Pinus sylvestris

Scots Pine

Family: Pinaceae

Leaf: Evergreen needles, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, with two stout, twisted needles per fascicle, blue-green with distinct stomatal bands.

Flower: Monoecious; males cylindrical, yellow, in large clusters along twigs; females oval, yellow-green to purple.

Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long, yellow-brown in color and slightly stalked; umbo is somewhat armed, with a blunt spine; apophysis resembles a pyramid, particularly on basal scales; maturing in the fall.

Twig: Moderately stout, green when young, changing to yellow-brown to olive-brown with large orangish, narrowly ovoid buds.

Bark: Orange to orange-brown and scaly or peeling when young; later developing irregular gray or red-brown ridges and furrows. Upper crowns always show orange peeling bark.

Form: A medium sized tree reaching up to 90 feet tall, often with a twisted or poorly formed trunk (depending on origin of seed). Young crowns are rounded; older crowns become round-topped.