Virginia Tech Dendrology

jack pine Pinaceae Pinus banksiana Lamb. symbol: PIBA2
Leaf: Evergreen needles, 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches long, two twisted, divergent needles per fascicle, fascicle sheath is present but short; yellow-green in color.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males cylindrical, yellow-green, in clusters at twig tips; females oval, reddish.
Fruit: Serotinous, persistenting on the tree for several years; 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, curved, light brown but graying with age; apophysis round and umbo armed with a small prickle.
Twig: Yellow to greenish brown when young, turning gray-brown with age, very resinous, narrowly ovoid buds.
Bark: At first dark and scaly, the bark later develops scaly ridges.
Form: A small to medium sized tree up to 80 feet tall, with a small, irregular crown. Dead branches self-prune poorly. Cones are retained for several years, resulting in a coarse appearance.
Looks like: lodgepole pine - Scots pine - Virginia pine

Additional Range Information: Pinus banksiana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Landowner Factsheet
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information