While you can easily distinguish a pine tree from other conifers, it is a bit difficult to differentiate between the individual pine species precisely. For example, could you determine straight away whether it is a black pine or a Scots pine? The two trees look very similar. But if you know what features to look for, tree identification is easy.
What is the difference between black pine and Scots pine?
The difference between black pine and Scots pine lies in three main characteristics: needles (black pine: approx. 15 cm, Scots pine: approx. 7 cm), bark color (black pine: uniformly dark, Scots pine: brown-red below, orange above) and cone shape (black pine: larger and straight, Scots pine: smaller and often curved).
Three essential features
You can easily tell whether your tree is a black pine or a Scots pine by three main characteristics:
- the shape of the needles
- the color of the bark
- the appearance of pine cones
The shape of the needles
If you compare the length of the needles, you will clearly notice that the leaves of the black pine are 15 cm long, twice as long as those of the Scots pine. They only reach a length of 7 cm. What both conifers have in common, however, is that their leaves grow in pairs on a short shoot.
The color of the bark
A good clue that you can also use to distinguish between trees is the color of the bark. The black pine has uniformly colored bark. Its trunk is dark from bottom to top. The Scots pine is a bit more colorful. At the bottom at the base, brown-red scales form the bark. Further up it loses thickness and its color changes to a bright orange.
The appearance of pine cones
Finally, it also helps to look at the cones of the two pine trees. On the one hand, both tree fruits differ in length. The black pine produces significantly larger specimens. In a direct comparison you can also see that the cones have different shapes. While those of the Scots pine can be crooked or curved, the cones of the black pine are regular and straight in shape.
