# Pine
**Pine** (*Pinus*) is a genus of coniferous, typically evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, recognized by their needle-like leaves borne in bundles called fascicles and by large, woody seed cones with tough scales. Pines are distributed throughout the [Northern Hemisphere](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-hemisphere) and are among the largest coniferous genera, with around 175 species worldwide plus hundreds of named cultivars.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003) The Gymnosperm Database treats 130 species, a difference that reflects varying recognition of subspecies and varieties.[2](https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus.php)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species count | Around 175 species worldwide, plus hundreds of named cultivars[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003); 130 species treated by the Gymnosperm Database[2](https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus.php) |
| Size range | Mature trees from 4 feet (dwarf mugo pine forms) to over 150 feet (white pine)[3](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/pine/) |
| Cone size | Mature cones from 3–5 cm in several species to around 60 cm in *P. lambertiana* and *P. strobiformis*; the heaviest are those of *P. coulteri*, up to 40 cm long and up to 5 kg[4](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/pinus/) |
| Origin and age | Ingroup node of *Pinus* dated to 128 ± 4 million years ago; ancestral area reconstructions point to a Eurasian origin[5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16621612/) |
| Oldest individuals | The bristlecone pine (*Pinus longaeva*) can live to nearly 5,000 years[6](https://iucn.org/content/worlds-oldest-and-largest-species-decline-iucn-red-list) |
| Resin economics | Raw natural pine resin sold at roughly $600 per ton as of October 2023; bark streak tapping yielded 610 g per tree per season versus 210 g for bore hole tapping in *Pinus brutia*[7](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-025-01146-3) |
| Conservation | Monterey pine (*Pinus radiata*), the world's most widely planted pine, moved from Least Concern to Endangered on the IUCN Red List[6](https://iucn.org/content/worlds-oldest-and-largest-species-decline-iucn-red-list) |
## Structure and identification
Pines are evergreens that keep their leaves and photosynthesize year-round. The adult leaves are long, slender, green needles that emerge from the axils of small, brown, non-photosynthetic scale leaves spirally arranged along the twigs. Needles are bundled in groups of two or more, each bundle held together by a collar of basal tissue called a sheath, and remain on the tree for several years before browning and falling.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003)
**Needles in fascicles** are the most basic identification feature. Both the number of needles per fascicle and their length distinguish species: in Florida, a rule of thumb holds that pines whose common names start with "S" have needles in twos, those starting with "L" have threes, and slash pine ("SL") has a mix of twos and threes. Because counts can vary within a tree, several fascicles should be checked. Needle number per fascicle can also be subject to environmental influences.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003) • [4](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/pinus/) Other useful characters include needle length, the number of sides of a needle (only *Pinus monophylla* has a round needle), the distribution of stomata, and needle color and stiffness.[2](https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus.php)
**Seed cones** offer strong clues. All native Florida pines belong to subgenus *Pinus*, the yellow or diploxylon pines, in which the outer surface of each cone scale carries a diamond-shaped bulge, the umbo, formed during the first year's growth; the umbo may bear a sharp point called a prickle. The larger diamond-shaped area around the umbo, formed in the second year, is the apophysis, and the shapes of prickle, umbo, and apophysis aid identification.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003) Across the genus, mature cone length ranges from 3–5 cm in species such as *P. banksiana*, *P. contorta*, *P. mugo*, and *P. sylvestris* to around 60 cm in *P. lambertiana* and *P. strobiformis*.[4](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/pinus/)
Bark is the part of a pine always available at ground level, but bark color and texture vary widely within a species, so it is generally not the best feature for beginners.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003) In general, pines are easy to distinguish from other needle-leaved trees by their long, narrow needles bound in bundles, large woody cones with tough scales, and distinctive whorls of branches.[8](https://treespnw.forestry.oregonstate.edu/conifer_genera/pine.html)
## Reproduction
Pines are gymnosperms: they reproduce with seeds but bear no fruits or flowers. Male and female cones, or strobili, are separate structures present on the same plant; wind carries pollen from male cones to female cones, where it fertilizes the ovules. Seeds develop inside the female cones for two years, protected by tightly overlapping woody scales.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003)
Some pines open their cones at maturity to release seeds, while others keep cones tightly closed past maturity and release seeds in response to the heat of a forest fire, a condition called serotiny. Pond pine (*Pinus serotina*), whose Latin epithet means "late," can hold closed cones for up to 8 years after maturity; its cones open after exposure to dry heat of 333 to 336 °F (167–169 °C) for 20 seconds or to boiling water for a similar period, and even badly charred cones release seeds capable of germination.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003) In Florida, two varieties of sand pine differ exactly this way: Choctawhatchee sand pine (var. *immuginata*) opens its cones at maturity, while Ocala sand pine (var. *clausa*) keeps them closed until fire passes through the stand.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003)
## Fire adaptations
Fire has shaped pine life histories in fire-prone regions. Longleaf pine (*Pinus palustris*) evolved to withstand frequent low-intensity lightning fires, and its seedlings pass through a "grass phase" in which the only aboveground growth is a dense clump of grasslike needles. This phase lasts from 3 to 20 years, most typically 5 to 7, during which the tree develops its root system and underground energy reserves before growing rapidly in height, minimizing the time its growing tip sits at the vulnerable height just above the ground. Once it has thick bark, a longleaf pine is safe from ground-level fires.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003) Longleaf pine has also evolved adaptations that safeguard both the apical bud and the vascular cambium, allowing it to thrive in fire-maintained ecosystems.[9](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR489)
## Evolution and fossil record
Pines have an abundant fossil record, and the first fossil attributed to the genus appears in the Early Cretaceous.[5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16621612/) • [10](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5381128/) A fossil cone of *Pinus yorkshirensis*, preserved in the Wealden Formation in [Yorkshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/yorkshire), UK, comes from sediments about 130 million years old.[2](https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus.php) The oldest [Cretaceous](https://www.edgepedia.org/cretaceous) fossil attributed to *Pinus*, *P. belgica*, was found in Europe, and its cone characteristics relate it to subgenus *Pinus*.[11](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790306000911)
Molecular phylogenetics using chloroplast sequence data from 83 pine species dated the ingroup node of *Pinus* to 128 ± 4 million years ago and placed the genus's most likely origin in Eurasia, largely consistent with a fossil-based three-step hypothesis of Mesozoic origin at middle latitudes of Laurasia, east–west expansion, and retraction into Eocene refugia.[5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16621612/) The genus is divided into two subgenera, whose species composition and monophyletic origin are firmly established by morphological, terpene, and molecular phylogenetic evidence.[2](https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus.php)
## Human uses
Pines provide timber, pulpwood, seeds, and resin. Approximately 29 species of *Pinus* produce seeds used as food, at least by indigenous cultures.[12](https://www.fao.org/4/xii/0060-a1.htm) In India, of five naturally occurring pines, only chir pine (*Pinus roxburghii*) is tapped commercially for resin; chir pine also supplies timber, fuelwood, edible seeds and oil, and needles used for livestock bedding.[12](https://www.fao.org/4/xii/0060-a1.htm)
**Resin tapping** remains a significant economic activity in rural Mediterranean areas, especially for maritime pine (*Pinus pinaster*) in the [Iberian Peninsula](https://www.edgepedia.org/iberian-peninsula) and France and Turkish red pine (*Pinus brutia*) in Türkiye. Extracted resin is used in high-value goods including adhesives, varnishes, and pharmaceuticals.[7](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-025-01146-3) A 2025 cost study of *P. brutia* in Türkiye found that both bore hole tapping and bark streak tapping incurred high production costs, making resin production economically unviable under current market conditions, though the lower-cost bark streak method approaches viability at historically higher resin prices.[7](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-025-01146-3) In the southeastern United States, the naval stores industry collected oleoresin from slash and longleaf pines for waterproofing wooden ships from the 19th century onward, then declined rapidly as steel shipbuilding replaced wood; most southeastern pine plantations are now managed for pulpwood and lumber.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003)
## Notable species and conservation
Pine species span extreme sizes and lifespans. [Bristlecone pine](https://www.edgepedia.org/bristlecone-pine) can live nearly 5,000 years, and Monterey pine is the world's most widely planted pine, valued for rapid growth and pulp qualities.[6](https://iucn.org/content/worlds-oldest-and-largest-species-decline-iucn-red-list) Monterey pine has nonetheless moved from Least Concern to Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with main threats including feral goats and an invasive pathogen.[6](https://iucn.org/content/worlds-oldest-and-largest-species-decline-iucn-red-list) In Florida, seven native pine species each grow best in a particular environment, from loblolly pine on good loam soils to sand pine on deep, dry, infertile sands; longleaf pine forests once covered upward of 60 million acres of the southeastern United States before logging and land clearing greatly reduced the species.[1](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003)
## References
1. [Proctor, N. & Monroe, M. Common Pines of Florida, FOR21/FR003, UF/IFAS Extension](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR003)
2. [Pinus (pine) description, The Gymnosperm Database](https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus.php)
3. [Pine, HGIC 1020, Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/pine/)
4. [Pinus, Trees and Shrubs Online](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/pinus/)
5. [Eckert, A. J. & Hall, B. D. (2006). Phylogeny, historical biogeography, and patterns of diversification for Pinus (Pinaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40(1): 166–182](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16621612/)
6. [World's oldest and largest species in decline – IUCN Red List](https://iucn.org/content/worlds-oldest-and-largest-species-decline-iucn-red-list)
7. [Caglayan, İ., Kabak, Ö. & Ucal Sari, I. (2025). Comparative cost analysis for bore hole and bark streak tapping methods in resin production from Pinus brutia. Agroforestry Systems 99: 45](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-025-01146-3)
8. [Pine Genus: Common Trees of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon State University](https://treespnw.forestry.oregonstate.edu/conifer_genera/pine.html)
9. [Born to Burn: The Fire Ecology of Longleaf Pines, FOR418/FR489, UF/IFAS Extension](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR489)
10. [Fossils matter: improved estimates of divergence times in Pinus reveal older diversification](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5381128/)
11. [Phylogeny, historical biogeography, and patterns of diversification for Pinus (Pinaceae), ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055790306000911)
12. [Indigenous Uses and Structure of Chir Pine Forest in Uttaranchal Himalaya, India, FAO](https://www.fao.org/4/xii/0060-a1.htm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Conifers and other gymnosperms › Conifers › Pinaceae — pines, spruces, firs, and allies › Pines (Pinus) › Pines — overview and genus treatment*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license