Pine

Pine refers to any coniferous tree or shrub belonging to the genus Pinus categorized under the family Pinaceae. Pines are found throughout the world, mainly in the northern temperate regions. Although two pine species may look precisely similar, counting the number of needles in each bundle can help identify them. They have comparatively soft timber, but they are commercially sold as soft (pinyon, sugar, and white) or hard (loblolly, Corsican, and Scotch) pines.

Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Plantae
Clade	Tracheophytes
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae
Subfamily	Pinoideae
Genus	Pinus

List of Different Types of Pine Trees

As listed by the Missouri Botanical Garden and Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the genus Pinus consists of 126 species and 35 unresolved species. These trees are subdivided into two subgenera distinguished by their leaf, cone, and seed characteristics.

Subgenus Pinus

Some of the common pine species included in this subgenus are given below:

• Sikang pine
• Korean red pine
• Huangshan pine
• Khasi pine
• Masson’s pine
• Mountain pine
• Sumatran pine
• Luchu pine
• European black pine
• Red pine
• Japanese black pine
• Taiwan red pine
• Chinese red pine
• Tropical pine
• Aleppo pine
• Turkish pine
• Canary Island pine
• Bosnian pine
• Chir pine
• Stone pine
• Ponderosa pine
• Gray pine
• Torrey pine
• Jeffrey pine
• Apache pine
• Arizona pine
• Coulter pine
• Lodgepole pine
• Sand pine
• Virginia pine
• Loblolly pine
• Cuban pine
• Spruce pine
• Caribbean pine
• Shortleaf pine
• Longleaf pine
• Chihuahua pine
• Jack pine

Subgenus Strobus

Some of the white and soft pines included in this subgenus are listed here.

• Foxtail pine
• Colorado pinyon
• Mexican pinyon
• Border pinyon
• Weeping pinyon
• Parry pinyon
• Potosi pinyon
• Texas pinyon
• Nelson’s pinyon
• Eastern white pine
• Siberian pine
• Blue pine
• Mexican white pine
• Swiss pine
• Limber pine
• Chinese white pine
• Bhutan white pine

Aside from the different pine species that are mentioned above, several cultivars including ‘Dragon’s Eye’ Korean pine, ‘Oregon Green’ Austrian pine, ‘Watereri’ Scots pine, ‘Nisbet’s Gold’ Scots pine, ‘Joppi’ Jeffrey pine, ‘Cleary’ Japanese white pine, and ‘Winter Sun’ mountain pine have been produced.

Quick Information
Tree Type	Evergreen, coniferous, resinous
Identification	Height: 50-260 ft, smallest being the Siberian dwarf pine (3-10 ft) and the tallest being the ponderosa pine (200-268 ft) Leaves: Needle-like adult leaves, bundled in clusters, 1-7 needles per fascicle Trunk Diameter: 1.0-1.6 ft Bark: Thick, scaly, woody outer layer, and a soft, moist inner layer Cones: Small male cones, 1-5 cm long, fall off after shedding the pollens; female cones measure 3-60 cm in length Seeds: Small, winged Branches: Horizontal, either long or short shoots Crown: Conical
Distribution	Temperate and subtropical regions in Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Habitat	Mountainous areas, semi-arid deserts, rainforests
USDA Hardiness Zone	5-11
Growth Rate	Average, 1-3 feet per year
Lifespan	Usually live for 100-1,000, the oldest being a Great Basin bristlecone pine called ‘Methuselah’ that is 4,600 years old
Growing Conditions	Sunlight: Full to partial sun Soil: Well-drained, sandy, acidic or alkaline Water: 1 to 3 inches per week
Drought Tolerance	Species like Limber, Ponderosa, Mugo, Pinyon, and Bristlecone withstand the dry climate
Diseases & Pests	Root rot, gall rust, blister rust, needle rust, Diplodia tip blight, Cyclaneusma needle cast, and Lophodermium needle cast; pests include aphids, caterpillars, borers, weevils, and mealybugs
Reproductive System	Monoecious
Propagation	From seeds and stem cuttings
Wildlife Value	Needles are used as food by several species of moth and butterfly caterpillars; seeds are eaten by jays, crossbills, nutcrackers, grouse, woodpeckers, siskins, and squirrels
Uses	Wood is used for construction and making carpentry items, as ornamental trees and Christmas tree; seeds are used for baking and cooking, needles are boiled in water for making tea
IUCN Conservation Status	The population of several pine species is decreasing, including the Longleaf pine and Parana pine, which are regarded as endangered and critically endangered respectively

Interesting Facts

• A group of 400 oddly-shaped pine trees is found in the Crooked Forest located near Gryfino in West Pomerania Province, Poland.
• Pine resin is typically used in Chinese medicine for treating wounds, burns, and other skin conditions.

References

1. https://www.britannica.com/plant/pine
2. https://conifersociety.org/conifers/articles/10-types-of-pine-trees-that-everyone-should-know/
3. https://www.thespruce.com/pine-trees-from-around-the-world-3269718
4. http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/ search?q=pinus
5. https://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/droughttrees.pdf
6. https://extension.psu.edu/pine-diseases
7. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/ 39068/2886222
8. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/ 32975/2829141