From a distance you can recognise it as an evergreen tree with a reasonably straight trunk and, if it is an older tree, with a somewhat spreading top. Most conifers maintain a conical shape throughout their life but after middle age the Scots Pine develops a spreading crown especially when growing in the open rather than in a dense woodland. The upper stem, perhaps from halfway up in older trees, is an orange brown colour. No other pine has this colour of stem, in other species it is a brown or grey brown colour. Look closely at the foliage to first ensure that the tree is in the Pine family.
Most coniferous trees have the leaf pattern shown on the left.
The needles tend to be short ,around 2cm or less in length and more or less set opposite each other on the twig, the Christmas tree being a typical example. The Pine family is different . The leaves or needles are long , from 3-4 cms to 7 cms or more in a vigorous young tree. The general form is shown on the right. If you look closely at the needles of a tree belonging to the Pine family you will find that they are bound to-gether at their bottom by a sheath.