tree

Scots Pine

Pinus sylvestris L

Updated 9 Jun 2026 · AI-parsed entry

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L) — a tree, for Full sun, Low water.

What it needs & gives back

↓ Needs

Sunlightfull sun
Watermedium

↑ Gives back

Shadedense
Biomassmedium to high

Through the year

Emergence

Seedlings emerge after the last spring frost when soil temperatures consistently reach 100C.

Flowering

Flowering (pollen release) occurs in late spring, typically May, as days lengthen.

Fruiting

Cones mature over two years, with seeds ripening in the autumn of the second year after flowering.

Dormancy

Enters dormancy with the first autumn frosts and shortening day lengths, lasting through winter.

Timing is relative to your local season (temperate Northern Hemisphere).

Soil interactions

Drainagewell-drained
Nitrogen fixingNo
MycorrhizalYes
Accumulatespotassium, phosphorus
Soil texturesandy, loamy
Organic matterMedium
Compaction toleranceLow

Propagation

Methodsseed
Difficulty2 / 5
Establishes in~3 yr
Stratificationcold_moist
Self-seedingModerate

Wildlife & pests

Can host pestspine sawfly, pine shoot moth, pine weevil
Can host diseasespine needle blight, root rot