Pine: Trees

Pine is a huge family of trees with well over 100 different species found around the world. In the UK people commonly mistake all evergreen or coniferous trees for pine, whereas many are firs, spruces or members of a host of other species. A good indicator of pine is that the leaves (needles) grow directly out of the branch and are arranged in clumps, whereas for example the needles on firs and spruces are evenly distributed.

Love the furniture, hate the trees

Severe timber shortages following the First and Second World Wars encouraged foresters to plant large acreages of coniferous woodland because it is faster growing than native deciduous trees and would be able to make up the shortfall in strategic timber reserves in the shortest possible time.

However, the advent in the 1950s and 60s of the nuclear age and the Cold War meant the idea of protracted international warfare in the future was obsolete. This meant the need for strategic timber reserves became unnecessary and therefore those who, with the best of intentions, had planted large areas with coniferous trees were vilified by conservationists and others ignorant of the long term planning necessary in forestry management. Ironically, this was at the same time that furniture made from Scandinavian pine was enjoying a huge surge in popularity in the UK.

Peace, security and environmental conservation

Fortunately Britain’s overall wealth and security is now such that environmental conservation can be given a much higher priority in woodland management and large-scale conifer plantings are no longer undertaken in England and Wales.

There is however a species of pine that is native to the UK and as such should continue to be planted in quantity. Pinus sylvestris or Scots Pine was a prevalent species in the UK after the last Ice Age. It gradually receded as the climate warmed until the last region it dominated was the massive Caledonian Forest in Scotland.

Over-exploitation and clearance of this forest over the centuries has left only an estimated 1% remaining. Much work is now being done to re-establish areas of the Forest, including planting Scots Pine. However, it remains to be seen whether this work can continue to be successful in the face of changing climatic conditions.

Uses of Pine

The timber from British pine plantations is generally used for pulp (to make paper and particle board), or for use as general sawn timber. It is not ideal for firewood, as the sap makes it spit. However, the trees’ resin was highly valued in times past for making into various products such as turpentine and tar. The smell has also been extensively copied for use in cleaning products and air fresheners – to the extent that ‘pine fresh’ has become a widely used cliché in the marketing world.

In Britain, the timber has predominantly been used for indoor purposes such as making furniture rather than outdoor purposes such as fence posts, due to the better weather resistance of native hardwoods such as oak and chestnut. It is curious to note however, that pine has long been used as an outdoors building material in Scandinavian countries, where many of these structures have achieved great age with no apparent ill effects.

Pine around the world

In addition to the vast tracts of pine in Scandinavia, there are huge pine forests in Russia and Siberia, Canada and in the USA as far south as Mexico and California. Perhaps less well known is that pines also exist in South America, North Africa, South East Asia and even the Himalayas. These locations are born out by the names given to many species, for example the Corsican Pine, the Caribbean Pine and the Monterey Pine (or monkey puzzle tree).

Residents of the UK are fortunate that they can (if they choose), study the different species of pine without even leaving the country. Bedgebury pinetum, situated in Kent, is the world’s largest collection of coniferous trees and is open to the general public throughout the year. Pines can also be studied at a number of arboretums around the country, such as Westonbirt arboretum in Gloucestershire and Derby arboretum, Derbyshire.