Red Pine - Definition and Overview

The Red Pine (Pinus resinosa), is a North American pine, occurring from Newfoundland west to southeast Manitoba, and south to northern Illinois and Pennsylvania, with a small outlying population in the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. It is a tree characterized by tall, straight growth in a variety of habitats. It usually ranges from 20-35 m in height, but can exceed that in optimal conditions, exceptionally reaching 43 m tall. This species is shade intolerant, but does well in poor, windy sites. This pine does best in well-drained soil.

The needles are in fascicles of two, 12-18 cm long, and brittle. The cones are 4-6 cm long, the scales without a prickle and almost stalkless.

The wood is commercially valuable for lumber and pulp, and the tree is also used for landscaping.

In the past it was occasionally known by the confusing name Norway Pine, even though it is native to North America, and not Norway.

The Red Pine is the state tree of Minnesota.