Minnesota State Tree
Red Pine (common name) Pinus resinosa (scientific name) Overview Red pine is named for its brownish-red scaly bark. It also goes by the names northern pine or Norway pine. The name Norway pine comes from pre-colonial times, when English explorers confused it with Norway spruce, and it reminded early settlers in Minnesota of a tree in their home country. Geographically, Norway pine is a native North American species, unlike Norway spruce or Norway maple. Red pine is one of the hardiest pines, and is native to Canada and the northern United States around the Great Lakes, as well as in New England. Groups of pure red pine can be found in many parts of Minnesota. The tallest red pine in the country is 126 feet tall and grows in Minnesota's Itasca State Park, but individuals of this stature are rare. Minnesota designated red pine as its state tree in 1945. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Red pine is a tall, medium-sized, coniferous tree with brownish-red scaly bark. It has an egg-shaped crown with upturned branches. Its needles are four to seven inches long, occur in groups of two, are brittle and snap if bent. Cones are 1½ to 3 inches long. Each year a pine tree produces a new whorl (circle) of branches. Height: 70-80 ft (21-24 m) Diameter: up to 91 cm (36 in) Bark: scaly plates, brownish-red, furrowed and checked, up to 2 in (6 cm) thick Seed: 1.5-3 in (3.5-7 cm) long, cones with smooth scales Leaves: 2 slender, flexible, sharp needles, 4-7 in (9-18 cm) long LIFESPAN Red pine is a long-lived, coniferous tree, reaching 200 to possibly 400 years. The oldest red pine recorded is 307 years, although a tree estimated to be 400 years old was measured in the Chippewa National Forest in north-central Minnesota. HABITAT Minnesota's state tree is native only to North America. It is found in areas with cool to warm summers, cold winters, and low to moderate precipitation. Red pine grows in mixed-conifer and hardwood forests, where it is usually a dominant species. It commonly occurs with eastern white pine, jack pine, and/or quaking aspen. IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE Red pine is a valuable food for wildlife, but a poor habitat for game birds and animals. Red pine stands can support a large variety of bird species. It is a prime nesting tree for bald eagles and many songbirds. Red pine is a major food for snowshoe hares, and a minor dietary component for moose and white-tailed deer. Red squirrels abundantly consume red pine seeds and cache red pine cones. OTHER USES AND VALUES The species is one of the most extensively planted trees in North America, due to its ability to tolerate bad soils, exposed sites, cold and wind. It is widely used for erosion control and water conservation, and also for farmstead windbreak. Young, small trees are popular as Christmas trees. In the early history of the Great Lakes states, red pine timber played an important part in the economy. Red pine remains a very important source of wood products. It is used for lumber, pilings, poles, cabin logs, railway ties, posts, mine timbers, box boards, pulpwood, and fuel. It is used to make a variety of products, including flooring, baskets, boxes, boats, doors, door and window frames, roofing, and signs. REPRODUCTION This evergreen tree is wind- and self-pollinated. Under favorable growing conditions, red pines produce female cones at age five and male cones at age nine, and may begin producing viable seeds at 12 to 60 years of age. Optimum seed-bearing age ranges from 50 to 150 years. Red pine does not regenerate vegetatively. Red pine depends on fire to create the conditions necessary for establishment, and in the absence of fire, is eventually replaced. SITE CHARACTERISTICS Red pine grows best on well-drained, aerated, sandy to loamy soils, typically of glacial outwash origin. They also grow well in gravel, on low ridges adjacent to lakes and swamps, and on very exposed sites including islands, peninsulas, lakeshores, and steep slopes. LOCATION/ELEVATION This species is found in Canada's Atlantic Provinces, New Brunswick, southern Quebec, westward to southeastern Manitoba, southward to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, northern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Its main distribution is centered around the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. TRIVIA Red pine, like white pine, was often used in ship masts. The British Navy was buying trunks from North America as late as 1875. Gradual climate warming is predicted to temporarily increase red pine abundance but eventually lead to its decline. Models predict that future warming will cause the eventual extinction of red pine in northern Michigan after about 400 years. Red pine will likely be replaced by maple, ash, oak, and eastern hemlock. Minnesota is the only state that uses the name Norway pine for this tree, most likely because of the large Norwegian heritage and tradition there.
	Click to enlarge an image Red Pine Red Pine Needles Red Pine Cones Red Pine Bark Red Pine Distribution Map (pdf) CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Tracheobionta Superdivision: Spermatophyta Division: Coniferophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Pinaceae Genus: Pinus L. Species: Pinus resinosa
	Sources: U.S. Forest Service U.S. National Arboretum U.S. Department of Agriculture Author: World Trade Press