Pine (Pinus spp.)
Evergreen ally. Resin, needles, and the scent of winter.
What It Is
Pines are needle-bearing evergreens found across nearly every region of North America. They carry needles in bundles called fascicles, produce resinous cones, and hold their green through every season. Once you know how to read needle bundles, telling one pine from another becomes quick and intuitive.
Evergreen ally. Resin, needles, and the scent of winter.
What It Is
Pines are needle-bearing evergreens found across nearly every region of North America. They carry needles in bundles called fascicles, produce resinous cones, and hold their green through every season. Once you know how to read needle bundles, telling one pine from another becomes quick and intuitive.
Red Pine vs White Pine
White Pine (Eastern White Pine, Pinus strobus)
Five needles per bundle. Soft, flexible, and bluish green.
Cones are long and slightly curved.
Bark is lighter and smoother on young trees, becoming broken into wide plates with age.
Overall look is airy, elegant, and open.
Memory trick: “W-H-I-T-E” has 5 letters, just like the bundles.
Red Pines (Regional Group)
Here’s where people get tripped up. “Red pine” can refer to more than one species depending on the region.
True Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) - Northern Range
Two needles per bundle. Long, stiff, and snap cleanly when bent.
Reddish plates of bark.
Uniform, upward-sweeping form.
Southern Red Pines (like Loblolly, Longleaf, or Slash Pine)
May have three needles per bundle, or a mix of two and three.
Often have reddish bark and are casually called “red pines” regionally.
Summary:
Red pines can show 2 or 3 needles depending on the species you’re actually looking at.
White pines always show 5 needles.
Other Needle Counts (Quick Field Clues)
Two needles: red pine (true northern species), jack pine, lodgepole pine, some slash pine.
Three needles: loblolly, longleaf, ponderosa, pitch pine.
Five needles: all white pines.
Use It Like This
Needles
Steep for a bright, citrusy tea.
Use fresh spring tips in syrups and vinegars.
Dry for winter blends and fire-cider additions.
Resin
Collect dried amber pitch for salves and fire starters.
Use sparingly for waterproofing crafts.
Pollen
Gather the yellow spring pollen as a baking add-in or thickener.
Tip: Always identify pine correctly first. Never confuse it with yew, which is toxic.
Harvest Notes
Pick soft green tips in spring.
Gather fallen dry needles for tea or craft use.
Collect resin from already-hardened drips so you don’t damage the tree.
Avoid roadside or chemically treated areas.
Wild Pantry Snapshot
Pine brings brightness when everything else is bare. Its needles, resin, and scent offer comfort, flavor, and a quiet bit of winter magic.
