Friends of Belfast Botanic gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. The series will gradually build up to a comprehensive archive of information about the trees in Belfast Botanic gardens. Each article will illustrate the tree in Belfast together with information from a range of sources elsewhere. Click here for the rest of the trees

Tree of the Month, April 2008

Scots pine - Pinus sylvestris

by Jonathan Pilcher

The Scots pine is one of the three native conifers in Ireland (the others are yew and juniper). Although native, none of the Scots pines growing in Ireland now are native stock. This is because the Scots pine arrived in Ireland not long after the end of the last ice age, but died out some 4000 years ago. It has been re-planted in Ireland (presumably mostly from Scottish stock) from the 17th century onwards. Some idea of its former importance in the native flora may be gained from the large areas of pine stumps buried in bogs and under blanket peat, particularly in the Antrim uplands and Donegall.

The Scots pine is a 2-needled pine like the Austrian pine, but may be distinguished from the latter by the much shorter needles, typically 1-4 inches long (2.5-10cm) and the characteristic reddish colour of the upper branches and trunk which distinguishes it from all other 2-needle pines when mature.

Scots pine in the Botanic Gardens on the slope below the Museum	Distinctive tapered winter bud of Scots pine
Scots pine showing characteristic reddish trunk and branches. This tree is in Tolymore Forest Park	pairs of needles emerging from a papery leaf sheath

For more information on the history of pine in Ireland see Flora Hibernica by Pilcher and Hall, Collins Press, Cork

Photos taken in 2008 . Copyright Jon Pilcher