365 Urban Species. #063: Scots Pine

[urbpan]

Urban specis #063: Scots pine Pinus sylvestris

Like its close relative European black pine, Scots pine is a European pine tree that is used as an urban landscaping tree in North America. Its native range is Scotland to Siberia and south to Spain, and in European forests it is an important species in the ecosystem. There are dozens of cultivars used in urban plantings but the flaking orange bark is distinctive. In Europe its trunk is straight and tall, but apparently because its pests were introduced with it but not the pests' predators, North American specimens tend to be contorted.