The Scots pine is a fast-growing, medium-sized evergreen conifer that usually grows to 30 to 60 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet in width. It is in the pine family (Pinaceae) and is native to northern Europe and Asia. It has become widely naturalized in the United States, particularly in the northeast and north-central areas. The epithet, sylvestris , means from the woods and forests. The best growing conditions include full sun and well-drained, acidic soil. It will tolerate a variety of soil types including poor soils and dry sites. It prefers cooler summer weather and is intolerant of the heat and humidity of the southeast United States. It is tolerant of urban conditions and is easily transplanted. It has a conical to columnar habit and then develops an open rounded irregular crown as it ages. The bark is a distinguishing feature and is flaking, cinnamon, or orangish-reddish brown color in the upper part of the tree and reddish brown near the base. The needles are short, twisted, and bluish-green, and appear in bundles of two. The cones are gray to light brown and are about 3 inches long and point toward the stem. The Scots pine is commonly used as a specimen tree in the home landscape or parks. It is frequently used as a Christmas tree because of its form and the retention of its needles. Some of the smaller cultivars are used in bonsai. Birds and small mammals enjoy this tree as a habitat and as a source of food. Quick ID Hints: bark and stems are orangish-brown or cinnamon-colored on the upper branches and reddish-brown at the base blue-green needles twisted, stiff, short, and bundles of two cones in groups of 2 to 4 and point toward the stem Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Scots pine is susceptible to Sphaeropsis (Diplodia) tip blight. Possible insect pests include pine wilt nematode, sawflies, moths, and scale. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University More information on Pinus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in. | Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Columnar; Conical; Open; Pyramidal; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Needles; Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Filiform
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaves are needles and measure 1.5 to 3.5 inches long and appear in bundles of two. They are dark green to bluish-green, stiff, and spiral around the branch.
There are separate male and female cones on the same tree. The male pollen cone is a rounded cylinder, measuring 3/8 to 1/2-inch long, and maybe yellowish-green to red. They appear in dense clusters at the base of the new stems or candles. The female is smaller, oval, 1/4 to 3/8-inch long, reddish-purple, and appears on the tips of the new candle.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a small, oval, brown cone that measures 0.5 inches long initially. At maturity, the cone measures 1.5 to 2.5 inches long and has scales without spines.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark in the upper part of the tree is orange/red-brown and flaking. The lower part of the tree, the bark appears reddish-brown and may have furrows.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
The young stems are greenish-brown, dull, and smooth. As the stem ages, it becomes orangish-brown with thin scaly bark. The buds are reddish-brown, 0.5 inches long with a dull point, and cylinder-shaped. They are covered in lance-shaped scales.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Northern Europe and Northern Asia
Distribution
Native: Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Czechoslovakia, East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Inner Mongolia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Manchuria, North Caucasus, Northern European Russia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Southern European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, West Siberia, and Yugoslavia. Introduced: Ireland, Korea, Netherlands, Newfoundland, Portugal, and the United States--IL, MN, NY, VT, and WI
Wildlife value
This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Porcupines consume the bark, pine grosbeak feed on the buds.
Attracts
Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Easy to Grow; Screening; Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Uses (ethnobotany)
This plant is cultivated for windbreaks and commercially grown for Christmas trees. It is an important timber tree in Europe.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Lawn; Meadow; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Recreational Play Area; Small Space; Walkways
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Nighttime Garden; Rock Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Screen/Privacy; Small groups; Specimen
Pests of Conifers; Striped Pine Scale; Pine Spittlebug; Powdery Pine Needle Aphid; Pine Bark Adelgid; Pine Needle Scale; Pine Tortoise Scale; Pine Tortoise Scale; Introduced Pine Sawfly