Red Pine
Pinus resinosa
Red Pine Stand
A stillness between order and wildness, where the human hand fades into the forest’s design.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 2000 • Aperture f/4.5 • Shutter 1/500 s
Description
The Red Pine, also known as the Norway Pine, is Minnesota’s state tree and a defining species of northern forests. Its tall, straight trunks and reddish bark make it one of the most recognizable conifers in the Great Lakes region.
Tall trunks rise evenly from a carpet of needles, their bark shifting from gray at the base to a warm reddish tone in the light. Inside the stand, the forest floor is carpeted with needles and little undergrowth. Their wood is strong, light, and used for construction, utility poles, and pulpwood. Red Pines can be identified by their Growth pattern: Typically forms straight, uniform stands, especially in reforested areas.
Red Pines are often planted for:
- Reforestation and timber production
- Windbreaks
- Wildlife habitat restoration
Bark
Edge of a Red Pine Stand
The uniform, plantation-style spacing common to Red Pine reforestation plots.
Gray at the base, becoming reddish and flaky higher up the trunk.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 2000 • Aperture f/4.5 • Shutter 1/500 s
Leaves
Red Pine Needles and Cones
Pairs of long needles and small, rounded cones characteristic of Red Pine.
Long (4–6 inches) needles, flexible, and found in pairs. When bent, they snap cleanly—a classic field test.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 2000 • Aperture f/4.5 • Shutter 1/500 s
Fruit
Close-up of Needles and Cones
Typical cluster showing the two-needle bundles and unarmed cones.
Cones: Small (1.5–2.5 inches), oval, and have unarmed scales (no prickly tips).
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 2000 • Aperture f/4.5 • Shutter 1/500 s
Habitat
Red Pines thrive in:
- Sandy or well-drained soils
- Full sun exposure
- Cool northern climates
Range
They’re found across the northern United States and southern Canada, particularly in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Forest Floor
Beneath the Red Pines, the forest floor gathers a soft mat of needles — a quiet habitat where fungi and insects share the filtered light. Among them, small brown mushrooms appear after rain, their caps fading as the days pass.
Mushrooms beneath the Red Pines
Older mushrooms emerging through the pine needles, their color fading from clay-red to tan.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 2000 • Aperture f/4.5 • Shutter 1/500 s
Mature mushroom under Red Pine Stand
Drying caps of a Milkcap or Slimespike species, part of the pine’s hidden partnership beneath the soil.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV
Lens: EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Settings: ISO 2000 • Aperture f/4.5 • Shutter 1/500 s
The pines rise above, the fungi return the favor below—each sustaining the other unseen.
References:
-National Audubon Society: Trees of North America* (2021)
Personal field notes (2025) Photographed near Lakeville, Minnesota.
