Pinus resinosa – Red Pine

This native evergreen can tolerate dry, exposed sites, and is great for a windbreak. It reaches up to 50 feet in height and is native as far north as Nova Scotia, and south to Pennsylvania. Pictured above is a stand of Red Pine in Lackawanna County PA.  Photo Credit: Pinchot Trail (1)” (CC BY 2.0) by Nicholas_T

Red Pine requires full sun and good drainage. Sandy or rocky soil is not a problem for this lustrous, dark-green pine.

Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by wackybadger

As it ages, its crown becomes irregular and round-topped.  Red Pine sheds its lower limbs as it grows, showing off its handsome reddish bark.

Like most pines, it is wind-pollinated. The young pollen cones that appear on the ends of its branches in spring are violet. The seeds are wind-dispersed and usually travel only as far as the length of its branches.

“Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Plant Image Library

Red Pine was once the most important timber pine in the Great Lakes region. It tolerates cold with no problem, since its natural habitat extends up to zone 2. It also grows beautifully as far south as zone 6.

Warblers, bald eagles, hawks, and other birds prefer to use pines for nesting and roosting site. Pine seeds help sustain many bird species. Here’s a link to a table of the various birds that eat pine seeds: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/tables/table122.htm.