Northumberland, Pennsylvania
 

Fun Facts

About Pine Trees

More than 100 different types of pine trees are currently known to the world, with 35 different varieties grown in the United States.

Height & Reach

  • Pine trees can reach over 60 feet in height and spread up to 30 feet across.

    Growth

  • Pine trees are the only species of tree to reproduce from seeds in a cone. Most pine trees can grow anywhere and in any type of soil. Full sun is required, but very little water is needed once they are full grown.

    Invasive Insects

  • The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is a destructive, introduced pest of forest and ornamental hemlock trees. Adult adelgids are soft-bodied insects, almost too small to see with the naked eye. The Adelgids feed at the bases of hemlock needles, causing the needles to die. Heavy infestations can kill trees in as little as four years, but some trees can survive longer.

    Adelgids are believed to be native to Japan and China. In Asia this insect causes few problems, because there are several beetles that feed on adelgids and the trees even show resistance to the insects. However, in North America, this is not so. Adelgids were first reported in Pennsylvania in the late 1960's. In the East, adelgids attack eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock.

    Common Varieties

  • Some of the most commonly known species of pine trees are the Sugar Pines, White Pine Trees, Long Leaf Pine, Shortleaf Pine, Bristlecone Pine, Red Pine and the Foxtail Pine.

    Harvesting

  • Most pine trees are harvested for ornamental lawn decoration and furniture-making purposes.

    Fun Fact

  • In 2008, the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine was determined to be the oldest known pine tree at 4,840 years old.

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