Pine Tree Facts for Kids

A Picture of a Pine Tree
  • Common Name: Pine Tree
  • Total Species: 120+
  • Subgenera: Pinus (hard) and Strobus (soft)
  • Genus: Pinus
  • Subfamily: Pinoideae
  • Family: Pinaceae
  • Order: Pinales

20 Pine Tree Facts for Kids

  1. Pine tree is a common name for conifer tree species in the Pinus genus.
  2. The Pinus genus is divided into two subgenera, Pinus and Strobus.
  3. The Pinus subgenus contains hard pines and the Strobus subgenus contains soft pines.
  4. A conifer tree produces cone-shaped seed structures that are commonly known as pinecones.
  5. There are over 100 tree species in the Pinus genus that share the common name pine tree.
  6. Pine trees are classified as evergreen trees, because their leaves stay green and don’t fall off.
  7. Pine trees are one of the few groups of trees that do not produce flowers or fruit.
  8. Pine trees are most well-known for the pinecones and unique fragrance they produce.
  9. The mature leaves of a pine tree are called needles, some species have very sharp needles.
  10. Pinecones contain seeds which are released after the seeds mature.
  11. The pinecones of the bishop pine tree (Pinus muricate) only release their seeds during a forest fire.
  12. The average height of most pine tree species is between 50 and 150 feet.
  13. The smallest pine tree is the Siberian dwarf pine (Pinus pumila) with an average height between 3 and 10 feet.
  14. The largest pine tree is the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) with recorded heights exceeding 250 feet.
  15. The average lifespan of a pine tree is between 100 and 1,000 years, varying by species.
  16. The Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) is one of the planet’s oldest living trees. Two specimens, Prometheus (dead) and Methuselah (living) both have a verified lifespan of 4,800+ years.
  17. Pine trees are found in North America, Europe, Asia and northern Africa.
  18. Pine trees are a popular ornamental plant in gardens and public parks.
  19. Pine trees are grown and harvested annually for the Christmas holiday and called Christmas trees.
  20. Pine trees are a popular commercial source of lumber and wood pulp.

Additional Resources on Pine Trees

  • About Pines – Find more stats and facts about pine trees on the Utah State University website.
  • Pine Tree Identification – An excellent identification guide by Leafy Place to help you identify different pine tree species.
  • Pictures of Pine Trees – Find tens of thousands of pictures of pine trees on the Flickr website.
  • Pine (Pinus) – Britannica – Discover more about pine trees and the Pinus genus on the Britannica website.

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