Pine Tree Basics

Pine trees are called “conifers” because they bear cones and sometimes called “evergreens” because they remain green throughout all four seasons of the year.  Conifer is the broader category for cone-bearing trees, which includes pines, as well as other generas such as fir, spruce, hemlocks or cedar. Michigan shares many conifer species with the other Great Lake States, Canada, and much of the Northeastern United States.

Pine trees can be challenging to identify simply because some varieties possess almost identical characteristics requiring close examination of their needles, cones, bark or growth habit. Other species are unmistakably identifiable from a reasonable distance simply by their size and shape.

The five most common pine trees of Michigan identified in this photo essay include:

1. Jack Pine
2. Scots Pine
3. Red Pine
4. Austrian Pine
5. White Pine

Jack Pine Trees Photo and Drawing

1. Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana)

North America native “Jack Pine” trees occur in the hottest, driest landscapes, preferring well-drained sandy or rocky soils. They need full sun. No wonder they can be found along the sand dunes of Lake Michigan.

• Jack Pine is a slow-growing medium-sized tree reaching 32 to 50 feet (10 to 15m) tall with a 10 to 15 foot (3 – 4.5m) spread. The Michigan Big Tree of this species reaches 62 feet (19m) tall, Marquette County.
• Jack Pines are highly variable in shape; they can be short, bushy, crooked or distorted, although trees grown in the open on dry, sandy soils and rocky sites can grow tall, straight trunks with little taper. Jack pines often exhibit a scraggly, branchy, unkempt appearance. Older trees especially can exhibit several needleless lower limbs.

Comparing Pine Tree Needles: All true pine species have one to five needles (leaves) per bundle (fascicle), distinguishing them from other conifers, such as spruce or fir trees, whose needles are attached singly and not in bundles. The photo above shows the four pine tree species described in this article that have two needles per bundle. White Pine trees typically have five needles per bundle (Described Last).

Jack Pine needles measure approximately 3/4 to 2 inches (2 to 5 cm) long with two in each bundle (fascicle). They are colored medium green to yellow green. Jack Pine needles often grow curved or twisted showing relatively blunt ends. Winter buds are ovoid with a rounded end and colored pale brown. They can be resinous.

Jack Pine seed cones are one of this tree’s most identifiable features, measuring about 2 inches (5 cm) long and being the only pine tree species with cones curved at the tip of closed cones. Jack Pine cones you may encounter are typically glued shut, protecting the seeds inside. They require fire or temperatures of 120 degrees in order to open up and release the seeds.

While trailing the Southwest Michigan preserve, Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, along a low-lying grassy sand-dune valley where temperatures are steaming hot during the summer months, I noticed the cones on the Jack Pine trees were almost all opened up. I also couldn’t help but notice the Jack Pine trees retained a ton of cones on every tree (Photo Above) and later I discovered through research that they persist on the trees up to 10 to 20 years. I tried to pull one off and was surprised by how much strength it took before it let go.

Jack Pine tree bark exhibits thin gray rectangular flakes. It is colored reddish brown underneath turning darker brown on older trees.

Jack Pine Importance to Wildlife: The yellow-breasted songbird, Kirtland’s Warbler, is endemic to Jack Pine groves having made a comeback from the federal and state endangered lists. Their nests are located on the ground near or at the edge of fairly dense young Jack Pine stands. Other wildlife eat the seeds, including squirrels, chipmunks, rodents and many other bird species. The white-tailed deer and snowshoe hare browse Jack Pines as well. When I was hiking along the trails of the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area preserve near a young stand, a white-tailed deer suddenly dashed out from the pine forest startling me; I needed several minutes to recover.

2. Scots (Scotch) Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

• Originally native to northern Asia and Europe, including Scotland, as the name implies, Scots Pines have been planted extensively for centuries, naturalizing throughout the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of North America. They have the widest geographical range of any pine tree species.
• This evergreen is known for its tolerance of poor soils that may be sandy, rocky, or heavy clay, and also tolerates drought and some shade. My forested property was a Scots Pine Christmas tree farm a generation ago, so I can personally vouch for these conditions.

Scots Pine Size and Shape                                                    

• Scots Pine trees are fast-growing, moderately long-living medium-sized, growing up to 60 feet (18m) tall with a 10 to 20 foot (3-6m) spread. Michigan Big Tree reaches 62 feet (19m) tall, Lenawee County.
• Scots Pine is highly variable in form. It is dense and pyramidal as a young tree, but quickly becomes irregular and contorted in closed stands, sometimes leaning. Their trunks often split into two main branches; they often show short crooked stems with wide-spreading, limby crowns. In the open and with good natural branch pruning, they can grow tall straight stems. Scots pines are easily confused with Jack Pines without close examination.

Scots Pine branches often curve upward at the tips. Their needles measure 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long, growing in clusters of two. They typically are colored bluish-green and less often medium-green to yellow-green, persisting on the tree for 2 to 3 years. Needles are rather stiff, sharp and thick. A distinguishing feature is how each needle twists (shown above right).

Scots Pine winter buds are oblong-ovoid, sharp-pointed, and reddish brown, some with white resin. Scots Pine pollen cones arise in spring with cylindrical, stalked clusters composed of yellowish pollen scales releasing pollen in spring or early summer pollinating the firmer female seed cones.

Scots Pine seed cones measure 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5 cm) long, having a rounded shape. They open up the second year, later dropping from the tree as soon as they are ripe in autumn or winter. The scales of Scots Pine seed cones are reddish-brown, smooth-edged and firm, lacking prickles on the backside. Like most pines, the tree is monoecious, meaning male pollen cones pollinate the female seed cones, typically during the spring season with help from the wind or disturbance from wildlife.

Scots Pine tree bark can be bright orange, especially noticeable along the large upper trunk and limbs, a recognizable feature from a reasonable distance on mature trees. The base of the trunk is typically more gray. The bark is thin and flaky with scaly ridges, becoming moderately thick on older trees.

3. Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)

• Native North American Red Pines are shade-intolerant, but tolerant of windy locations, thriving best in well-drained sandy or gravely soil on mountains, hillsides, or plains.
• In Michigan, Red Pines are most common in the Upper Peninsula and the northern half of the Lower Peninsula, south to Ottawa County on the west side of the state and St. Clair County on the east side.

Scandinavian settlers in North America frequently identified the native Red Pine with the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) of Europe. This comparison was made due to similar appearances in bark color, conical shapes, and habitat preferences, often leading to confusion between the native species and the imported European variety. 

Red Pine Tree Size and Shape

• Large, fast-growing pine tree reaching 66 to 115 feet (20 to 35 meters) in height with varying widths. Red Pines are long-living, sometimes up to 500 years. Michigan Big Tree reaches 114 feet (35m) tall, Ontonagon County.
• At maturity, the Red Pine grows rather straight, tall and fairly uniform with a narrowing roundish crown. In closed stands, trunks are long and limbless; crowns are short and oval. Branches are spaced in annual whorls along the trunk; the tree’s age can be determined by counting the number of these whorls.

Red Pine Tree needles measure approximately 5 to 7 inches (12.7 to 17.75 cm) long. They are coarse, slender, straight, sharp and flexible, but snap apart when bent sharply. They grow two per bundle (fascicle) and are colored medium green to dark green, remaining on trees up to four years providing a dense appearance, especially in younger trees. Red Pine winter buds are rather resinous, as with their resin-retentive lumber, reflected in their scientific name (Pinus resinosa).

Red Pine Tree seed cones are large, measuring approximately 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) long. They are brown, firm and broadly oval, lacking prickles on the backsides of their rounded, smooth-edged scales. They ripen in the autumn of their second season, falling to the ground the following summer

Red Pine Tree bark is thick and gray-brown at the base of the tree, and more thin, flaky and bright orange-reddish brown along the upper crown (origin of common name). Red pine bark is fire-resistant. It can easily be confused with Austrian and Scots Pine tree bark.

Red Pine Tree importance to wildlife include Bald Eagle nesting in this tall tree just below the crown, and colonies of the Great Blue Heron use Red Pines along waterways. Red squirrels, in particular, store their cones in underground tunnels and use the tree as their favorite nesting tree.

4. Austrian Pine (Black Pine) (Pinus nigra)

The Austrian (Black) Pine trees are European natives extensively planted in the U.S. for generations, becoming naturalized in Michigan and much of the Northeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States. They’re desired for their fullness of foliage and adaptability. They prefer well-drained soil, but will tolerate heavy clay, sandy soil, and road salt, and are resistant to wind and drought. They are shade intolerant.

Black Pine Tree Size and Shape

• Black Pine trees are large, fast-growing, moderately long-lived tree; in open locations reaching from 60 to 100 feet (20-30 m) tall and 20 to 40 feet (6 -12 meters) wide. Michigan Big Tree reaches 85 feet (26m) tall, Lenawee County.
• Mature trees have denser foliage and a fuller shape than many other pines, including the Red Pine, of which they share several similar traits. Young trees are densely pyramidal holding lower branches close to the ground. At maturity, they become large, flat-topped trees exhibiting a rough, short trunk, with low, stout, spreading branches. They sometimes grow into irregular shapes.

Black Pine Tree needles measure 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long. They are colored medium to dark green with two needles per bundle (fascicle). They’re quite similar to the Red Pine needles except the Black Pine needles are stiffer and sharper to the touch. Even though they are stiffer, they will not snap in two when sharply bent like Red Pine needles. They tend to grow curved upward from the twig.

The Black Pine Tree winter buds are oblong-conical, sharp-pointed, reddish-brown, and often white with resin. The Austrian Pine Tree spring pollen cones are cylindrical, exhibiting scaly clusters composed of yellow pollen scales growing at the base of new shoots. They pollinate the female seed cones through the wind or by animal disturbances. Like most evergreens, they are monoecious, having male and female parts on the same plant.

Austrian “Black” Pine Tree seed cones measure 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) long. They are firm, with tiny spikes on the backsides of the scales. They ripen in the autumn of the second season when opening to full size and remain on the tree for several years.

Black Pine tree bark is pinkish-gray to darker brown to nearly black (hence the common name); older trunks are coarser displaying deeply fissured, flaking coarseness. The bark characteristics look quite similar to Scots and Red Pine bark.

5. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

I have saved the best for last because there is so much history attached to this beautiful pine tree (explained below). The North American native White Pine Trees (also called “Soft Pines”) can be somewhat versatile, preferring sandy soil and humid climates. They can grow in boggy areas and rocky highlands, but they do not tolerate heavy clay. They are moderately shade tolerant. Mature trees can easily live 200-plus years of age. Some Michigan trees have approached 500 years of age.

Eastern Pine Tree Distribution (USDA Plant Database) and Eastern Pine Tree Branch

Eastern White Pine Tree Size and Shape

• Eastern White Pine is a large, fast-growing tree, typically reaching 100 feet (30m) in height with up to 40 feet (12 m) spread. This U.S. native tree has the distinction of being the tallest tree in the eastern regions of North America. Pre-colonial stands reported over 200 feet (50 m) in height.
• Presently, the tallest specimens are in Hartwick Pines Michigan State Park are over 160 feet (49m) tall.
• The White Pine exhibits a straight trunk and dense foliage, especially in younger trees, or somewhat irregular shapes depending on location. Open-grown trees exhibit a wide-spreading pyramidal crown. Branches in mid-crown spread at nearly right angles to the stem. Upper branches ascend and often grow irregularly away from the prevailing wind direction, giving the tree a wind-swept appearance.

Eastern White Pine Tree needles measure from 3 to 5 inches (7.6 to 12.7 cm) long and are colored medium green, or less often yellow-green. The needles have a unique feature among pines with a long, slender, flexible form and attachment to branches in bundles of 5 per bundle (fascicle), or rarely 3 to 4. This unique trait gives the tree a furry texture recognizable from a reasonable distance. The related Western White Pine (from the Pacific and intermountain states) also has five needles per bundle.

Eastern White Pine tree seed cones measure about 6 inches (15 cm) long, lacking spikes on the backside. They are easily recognizable with their cylindrical, slender form and less rigid loose scales which are slightly reflexed. After ripening in autumn of the second season, they open to disperse seeds in the wind, later dropping to the ground during the winter and succeeding spring.

White Pine tree bark is thin, smooth and greenish on young trees. With age, it thickens and turns dark gray to brown as seen above right. It is deeply fissured longitudinally into broad scaly ridges, often showing sap drippings which turn white when exposed to air, as seen in the photo above.

Eastern White Pine Historical Significance

This native pine once covered much of Northcentral and Northeastern North America, but only 1% of this original cover remains today. At the turn of the century, White Pines were clear-cut during Michigan’s lumber era, which rebuilt Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. The trees were favored because they were easily accessible occurrence in pure stands and floated well. By the early 1900s, over 100 million Michigan pine trees had been felled in the Lower Peninsula before lumber companies targeted the Upper Peninsula. During this era, as a result of clearcutting, the Southwestern Michigan lumber and ship-building town of Singapore became buried in sand, lost forever.

The wood of White Pines was the most significant trade commodity and building material of the New World during the colonial period, starting as early as the 1600s.

The Eastern White Pine was called the Tree of Peace by the Iroquois and Ojibway Native Americans who used every part of the tree, including the bark, cones, needles and resin, for food, medicine, boat making and various crafts.

In 1955, the Eastern White Pine became Michigan’s state tree.

The Tree That Helped Change America

During the age of square riggers, the tall straight Eastern White Pines were known in the Thirteen Colonies as mast pines, mostly reserved for The British Royal Navy by order of King Charles II. Beginning in 1684, the king forbade the colonists from cutting down white pines suitable for masts without a special license. This order was a significant motivator leading up to the Revolutionary War as American colonists got fed up with the king’s order and other British restrictions on trade.

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