Castle Howard Arboretum Trust - Furniture Makers Trees

Botanical name: Pinus sylvestris

Family: Pinaceae

Common Name: Scots Pine, Red Pine

Habitat and Distribution

A native of Scottish and English heath and mountains, usually on sandy or gravely soils. Native to western and northern Europe and Russia, once more widespread throughout central Europe but now restricted by competition from other trees. Much planted in Europe and N. America for timber and ornament. It can be grown on all types of soil but does not reach its maximum size or age on damp, acid soils or shallow ones over chalk

Description

Evergreen conifer to 36 metres (120 ft), some old examples can attain a thickness of over 2 metres and in the natural forests are known to attain an age of over 650 years.

A large, tall-stemmed tree that may sometimes be low, picturesque and spreading, its crown of whorled branches becomes flat-topped with age. The young bark is reddish; turning purplish grey with age, towards the top of the tree the bark becomes increasingly flaky and is a pinkish orange-brown. The needle like leaves are often twisted and borne in pairs, they are a deep bluish grey-green colour. The needles on older trees are shorter.

Erect clusters of bright yellow male flowers, at the base of shoots, shed copious quantities of pollen in May. Tiny female flowers at the tip of shoots on the same plant, are rosy red and ripen in June, followed by egg shaped, woody brown cones about 7.5 cm (3 in) long.

Age - typically up to 150 years but 300 – 700 possible.

Timber

Timber is variously known as red or yellow deal (from northern or southern UK respectively), or as Scots, Baltic, Finnish, Swedish or Polish Pine, depending on origin. The density, texture, knottiness and durability also vary accordingly, reflecting the wide geographical origin and growing conditions. The wood is resinously fragrant, pale, red-brown with annual rings of deep yellow and red-brown, laid down early or late in the growing season respectively..

Timber reaches maturity in 60-70 years.

Uses

The best grades, hard and knot-free (clear pine) – are used for country dressers, cabinets and chests, furniture carcasses, joinery and turning. Whereas ‘Knotty pine’ is often used as a veneer in kitchen furniture, it is also used in building for joists, rafters and flooring.

Historically, pine was usually painted or grained, but nowadays old pine furniture (and doors) is often stripped.

Before the introduction of pitch pine (Pinus palustris) and the New Zealand kauri pine (Agathis australis) it was the most widely used in building construction.

Preservatives are effective on this wood hence it is suitable for outdoors where it is used for fencing, railway sleepers, pitwood, and telegraph poles.

The wood is also use in the manufacture of fibreboard and chipboard

The needles yield a medicinal oil, which has been used widely, internally to treat bronchitis, colic, cystitis, externally for rheumatism, head lice, muscular aches and pains and also for aromatherapy.

Pitch, tars, resin and turpentine is obtained from the wood.