Picturesque with age, Pinus sylvestris (Scotch Pine) is a fast-growing, evergreen coniferous tree of conical habit when young, becoming high-branched over time with a long trunk topped by a flat-topped or umbrella-shaped canopy. Borne in pairs, its glaucous blue-green, twisted needles, often turn darker green to dark yellow-green in winter. Red at pollination before turning gray-green, the cones point backward along the branches. Quite attractive, the bark is scaly, dark gray-brown on the lower trunk, and thin, flaky and bright orange-red on the upper trunk and branches. A popular holiday tree, its hardiness, adaptability and pollution tolerance make it a great choice for screens and windbreaks.

• Grows up to 30-60 ft. tall (9-18 m) and 30-40 ft. wide (9-12 m).
• Performs best in full sun in moist, well-drained soils. Tolerant of a variety of soil types, including poor soils. Prefers cool summer climates and dislike heat and humidity. Tolerant of urban pollution.
• Easy to grow, easy to care for and rarely browsed by deer.
• No pruning required.
• Native to Temperate Asia, Europe.
• Find where this species is invasive in the United States.
• Discover beautiful U.S. native plant alternatives.