Red Pine
(Pinaceae Pinus resinosa)
Adopted in 1953.
The Norway pine, also
called the red pine,
Pinaceae Pinus resinosa,
was adopted in 1953 as
Minnesota's state tree.
The Norway Pine is also
called the red pine because
of its reddish brown bark,
stands 60 to 100 feet tall,
with a trunk three to five
feet wide. Its needles are
four to six inches long and
grow in pairs.
The tallest Norway pine
in Minnesota is in Itasca
State Park. It is over 300
years old and stands 120
feet high. Red pine is one
of the most extensively
planted species in the
northern United States and
Canada. It is a medium-size
tree with lightweight,
close-grained, pale reddish
wood used primarily for
timber and pulpwood. Trees
97 cm (38 in) in d.b.h. and
43 m (141 ft) tall in
Michigan are among the
largest living specimens.
MINNESOTA STATE
State Tree: Red or
Norway pine (Pinus
resinosa); adopted 1945.
Statutory citation:
Minn. Stat. 1.143
History:
1953 Minn. Laws Chap. 20
(HF82/SF54; approved 18
Feb. 1953)
1983 Minn. Laws Chap.
119 Sec. 2 (SF808) --
Adds language concerning
display of photograph.
1.143 State tree,
designation.
Subdivision 1. Red or
Norway pine. The Red
pine (Pinus resinosa),
more commonly known as
Norway pine, is
designated as the
official state tree of
the state of Minnesota.
Subd. 2. Photograph.
A photograph of the Red
pine, to be obtained and
approved by the
commissioner of natural
resources, shall be
certified and preserved
in the office of the
secretary of state.
HIST: 1953 c 20 s 1;
1983 c 119 s 2; 1984 c
628 art 1 s 1
Copyright 2002 by the
Office of Revisor of
Statutes, State of
Minnesota.
Description:
- Leaf:
Evergreen, 4 to 6 inches
long, with two needles
per fascicle that snap
cleanly when doubled.
- Flower:
Monoecious; males almost
round, light red, in
large clusters at branch
tips; females a round,
short cone,
reddish-brown.
- Fruit: Cones
are ovoid, broad near
the base and tapering to
a point at the tip; 1
1/2 to 2 1/2 inches
long. The apophysis is
chestnut brown and the
umbo is not armed.
Maturing August to
October.
- Twig: Medium
textured, orange-brown
in color with
orange-brown buds.
- Bark: On
young trees, red-brown
or pink to gray, flaky.
Eventually becoming
plated, the plates have
scaly surfaces.
- Form: A
medium-size tree with an
ovoid crown and a clear
bole. Foliage is tufted,
resembling a fox tail.
Taxonomic
Hierarchy
|
|
Kingdom |
Plantae --
Plants |
|
Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta --
Vascular plants |
|
Superdivision |
Spermatophyta –
Seed plants |
|
Division |
Coniferophyta –
Conifers |
|
Class |
Pinopsida – |
|
Order |
Pinales – |
|
Family |
Pinaceae – Pine
family |
|
Genus |
Pinus L.
– pine |
|
Species |
Pinus
resinosa
Soland. – red
pine |
Source:
Dendrology at
Virginia Tech
U.S. Department of
Agriculture
|
