Pinus sylvestris
Common name
Scots pine
Family
Pinaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Gymnosperms
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
PINSYL
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Detailed description
Medium sized tree reaching about 35 m. Needles are stout 2.5–7 cm × 1–1.5 mm, in bunches of 2, grey-green to blue-green in colour, and twisted. New shoots are light yellow to light brown. Mature female cones are pendent 3–6 × 1.5–3 cm, light brownish grey.
Similar taxa
Short needles held in pairs, foliage has silvery appearance. Small cones without spikes, shed annually. Similar to P. mugo and P. uncinata but in P. sylvestris the cones are held on short stalks.
Flower colours
No flowers
Life cycle
Perennial; seed is wind dispersed.
Year naturalised
1919
Origin
Europe, W. and N. Asia
Reason for introduction
Forestry
CONIFER IDENTIFICATION
The National Wilding Conifer Control Programme team at Biosecurity New Zealand, a branch of Ministry for Primary Industries, has produced this wilding conifer quick ID guide.