Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
GPS Coordinates: 40.02445, -75.314256
The Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) gets its name from the color of the armor-like plates of its bark, and can also be identified by its slender, brittle needles (they snap when bent), which are between 4 and 6.5 inches long, and bundled in groups of two. The species is widely used in reforestation, and a healthy, mature tree can be 80 feet tall. Although the bark at the bottom of the tree is brownish gray, it turns a bright red-orange towards the top, giving it its name. There is low genetic and morphologic variation among this species, which indicates that it came near extinction in its recent evolutionary history. Even though the tree is native to North America and it is the state tree of Minnesota, it is also sometimes referred to as the Norway Pine. Early European explorers may have confused the tree with the Norway Spruce (Picea abies), also a very tall evergreen.