Pinus sylvestris - Scots Pine

Taxonomy

Phylum: ??

Class: ??

Order: Pinales

Family: Pinaceae

There are something like 100 species of pine trees, but the Scots Pine is the only one that is native to Britain. It is widely planted throughout Wales and its timber has long been used for house joists and roof timbers, telegraph poles and ships' masts.

Scots pine flowers (male)

Scots pines can reach a height of 40 metres, but the crown of the tree is usually forked, so that not all of the trunk is available as long timbers.

Scots pine - 'green'

The green cones over-winter on the tree and take until the following autumn to ripen fully.

Cone