“Pinus sylvestris is the only native pine to Great Britain…”– Fun Facts
Full Tree, Pinus sylvestris (Burgess, 2006)
Since its naming by Linnaeus in 1753, Pinus sylvestris has been the botanically accepted name. There are from 19-22 named varieties but the only accepted are those published by Ruby & Wright (1976). These names are not equally applied worldwide and can thus cause confusion when speaking about or ordering certain varieties. The best way to differentiate between varieties is to look at the geographic origin (Skilling, n.d.).
Pinus sylvestris may be confused with Red pine, Pinus resinosa, as both have reddish bark. Scotch pine has shorter, bluish-green needles (1-2.5 in) whereas Red pine has yellowish, longer needles (4.5-6 in). Scotch cone scales are thicker and have an angular, 4-sided tip while the scales of Red pine are thinner and rounded at the tip (bplants.org, n.d.).
Known as the Scotch (Europe) or Scotch (USA) pine, Pinus sylvestris is the only native pine to Great Britain and is the national tree of Scotland (Forestry and Land Scotland, 2024).
Native
Introduced
The Scotch pine has adapted to a very wide distribution across the Northern hemisphere, where a number of varieties based on region and climate can be found. It can survive in temperatures as low as -84°F and grows in some areas where the soil is permanently frozen. However, it grows best in temperate climates (Steven and Carlisle, 1959).
The conservation status is of least concern (IUCN, 2024), though it has been declared extirpated in certain areas of Europe.
