Pinus sylvestris
Specifications
Family
Pinaceae
Species
Pinus sylvestris L.
scots pine
scotch pine
Description
The sapwood is yellowish white or slightly pinkish, and the heartwood is pinkish or pinkish brown, medium in texture and generally straight in grain, and very resinous. The density varies from 0.38 to 0.66. It is rapidly subject to discoloration (blueing) and easily attacked by insects and fungi.
Plant morphology
It is a tree up to 40 m tall, with a spreading crown of a pleasant glaucous-green color. Branching is whorled when young, then more irregular. The bark is yellow-reddish, divided into thin lamellae when young and in the upper part of the trunks. The crown is sparse, sometimes asymmetrical and untidy; the needles are gathered in bundles of two, spirally twisted, and rigid. The cones are grayish, with a short peduncle, of modest size, asymmetrical, and mature in two years.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
From Spain to Siberia. In Italy, it is widespread in central and northern Italy. Widespread and common in parks and gardens.
Habitat and ecology
It lives in various habitats, all sharing a nutrient-poor substrate. It is a pioneer and sun-loving plant, capable of colonizing rocky areas, scree slopes, or heathlands. It is found, for example, in the ravines, magredi, and baragge of the Po Valley. In the central Alps, it lives primarily in the more continental valleys beneath other conifers such as larch and fir.
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is used in load-bearing structures and building construction in general, carpentry, packaging, wood wool.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Medium
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
550
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
41
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
83
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
98
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
14000
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Moderatamente durabile, Not very durable
Insect resistance
Not resistant