Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine

Scots Pine is the only pine native to the British Isles, and its range on the continent extends from Spain through northern Europe, Scandinavia, and across Russia to Siberia. In the wild, it can grow to 110’ high, but in cultivation it typically grows to 30’-60’H × 30’-40’W. Pinus sylvestris grows rapidly, at about 12”-24” per year. In 10 years, it will grow to 12’-24’H × 8’-12’W, although cultivars of Scots Pine vary in size and color. It is pyramidal in its youth, but as it ages, it loses its lower branches and develops a broad, flat-topped, irregular crown. The green to blue-green needles are 3” long, and the 3” long seed cones start out green and change to a yellow-brown as they mature. It grows best in full sun, in acidic, well-draining soils, and it is hardy from USDA zones 3 to 8.