Q&A for How to Identify Pine Trees

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How do you tell the difference between a spruce and a pine tree?

Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
Dr. Michael Simpson (Mike) is a Registered Professional Biologist in British Columbia, Canada. He has over 20 years of experience in ecology research and professional practice in Britain and North America, with an emphasis on plants and biological diversity. Mike also specializes in science communication and providing education and technical support for ecology projects. Mike received a BSc with honors in Ecology and an MA in Society, Science, and Nature from The University of Lancaster in England as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He has worked in British, North American, and South American ecosystems, and with First Nations communities, non-profits, government, academia, and industry.

Michael Simpson, PhD

Registered Professional Biologist

Expert Answer

Start by comparing the needles. Pines tend to have longer needles than spruces and these grow in pairs or clusters. Spruce trees needles appear to grow directly from each branch and are spaced close together, like bristles on a hairbrush.

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Question

What shape does the tree grow in?

SuperMeggie

Community Answer

This depends on which pine tree you are talking about. All pines have needles with scratchy bark on the trunk, but each tree shape is different. Some grow tall and straight like a needle, others like round baubles and others like triangles. Search for image examples of pine trees for a good idea of the wide variety.

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Question

Why does a pine tree not have cones?

Lia 💖

Community Answer

Under certain conditions that put stress on a tree, it will not produce cones in a stressful year. That stress can be caused by temperature fluctuations or drought conditions or lots of other things.

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Question

What pine has needle clusters growing on the trunk?

Laylur Louix

Community Answer

Monterey Pine. The pine tree is characterized through upward-pointing branches which have clusters of needles to create dense foliage. Needles have a blunt tip, grow in clusters of 3, and are lengthy and slender. Monterey pine trees are a medium-dense kind of softwood conifer.

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Question

How do I identify a white BC pine vs a Ponderosa pine?

Laylur Louix

Community Answer

Ponderosa pines are easily recognized by their tall, straight, thick trunks, clad in scaled, rusty-orange bark that has split into big plates. One can easily identify some trees by smelling their bark. Ponderosa pine bark smells like vanilla or butterscotch.

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Pine needles are grouped in five, indicating a white pine, but bark is 1 - 1½ squares, which does not appear smooth like a white pine. Are five grouped needles always indicative of white pines?

Paris25

Community Answer

Eastern white pine has soft blue-green needles borne in groups of five, although foliage color can vary from one tree to the next.

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