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The capacity of the human mind for swallowing nonsense and spewing it forth in violent and repressive action has never yet been plumbed.

Robert A. Heinlein

![Mature Scots Pine](/Images/trees/Pinus/sylvestris/pinsyl02.jpeg) Grown in the open, Scots pine tends to sprawl as they get old. I'm guessing it would take close to a century to get to this size in our climate.

Scots Pine

Pinus sylvestris

This is a favourite for Christmas Trees, although ones raised for Christmas trees are sheered to make them more uniform in shape, and more full.

![Scots Pine in 2 gallon stuewe pot](/Images/trees/Pinus/sylvestris/2008-09-28_10-22-36.jpeg) One of my scots pines, about 3.5 feet tall, ready for a new home. The central leader, the spike, is 1 year's growth. ***
![Scots pine leader tip.](/Images/trees/Pinus/sylvestris/2008-09-19_12-08-31.jpeg) Close-up. You can see how the needles are flat in cross section, and have a gentle curve to them. In the centre you can see next year's buds formed. The centre one will be the new leader, the side ones will each form a branch. ***

It's also often used forshelterbelts. Very hardy (zone 2) Very drought resistant once established.

They are nicely symmetrical when young. Tend to get a bit sloppy when old. (Reminds me of me...)

Good tree for rows as they tend to be fairly uniform in both colour and size from a given batch.

The needles are flat, having almost a ribbon appearance. They twist, and have very sharp tips.

Scots pine cones open while still atached to the tree.

The name is misleading. Their native distribution covers scotland, most of central Europe, the southern edge of Siberia and on through China. The seed source for my current trees come from the Ukraine, they have somewhat better winter color than most. (All of the two needle pines get a yellow cast to their needles in winter. I suspect that clorophyll breaks down in the sunlight, and is not rebuilt until the tree thaws out in the spring.

![Scots pine in pot yard](/Images/trees/Pinus/sylvestris/2008-09-19_12-08-19.jpeg) Batch of scots pine in 2 gallon pots. ***
![Middle aged scots pine showing good form.](/Images/trees/Pinus/sylvestris/scots-pine1.jpeg) This is a middle aged Scots pine. As you can see, it still has a symetrical shape to it. In another 30 years it will look more like the one at the top of the page. Remember in planting any tree, that you plant not just for yourself, but for the next two generations. ***
![XXX](/Images/trees/Pinus/sylvestris/2005-08-02_07-41-30.jpeg) Yearlings in my nursary. This is a good size to plant if you are on a budget. Just tall enough to be seen, but fast to plant. ***
Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris
Location Potsize Height Count Price
PC12 #2 Stuewe tall pot 20-30 in. 24 $14.00
PB14 #2 Stuewe tall pot 24-36 in. 180 $17.00
PC07 #2 Stuewe tall pot 24-36 in. 270 $17.00
PA8 #2 Stuewe tall pot 30-50 in. 76 $23.00
PC01 #2 Stuewe tall pot 32-44 in. 200 $21.00
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Sherwood's Forests is located about 75 km southwest of Edmonton, Alberta. Please refer to the map on our Contact page for directions.