That is a dandy. Thanks.

tj

Beautiful specimen, it must be an oldie. I guess you don't have pine wilt nematode up that way. No Scots or Austrian pine left around here.

This is one of those Midwest towns that has some very nice trees. Beautiful Bur Oak mainly, but there's Sugar Maple and few exotic gems along the way. Why is it that some towns seem to have a bounty of majestic old trees, while others are drab in comparison? Soil of course has something to do with it, but there does seem to be something else at play.

I can't say we're completely free of PWN, but Scots and Austrian are doing OK. I do see the occasional mature P. sylvestris dead or dying, so I worry about it. I'm interested to know if TJ sees it in Milwaukee Land, which about 200 miles to the SE.

Maybe far enough north to escape the typical diseases? Don't know, but shows how majestic a Scots pine can be w/o the diseases. An occasional, exceptional Table Mnt or pitch pine can look like that here.

Foliage color is really good one this one too.

That bark is gorgeous.

that trunk is too nice to be real

ron

The bark is Pinus nigra for me not Pinus sylvestris

I suppose before I wax poetic we should identify the tree. I have to admit I've never seen bark on a Scots Pine quite like this one, but I've also never seen one quite this old or with such thick plating. The branches show the classic orange color that P. s. is noted for, and I've assumed all along it was Scots Pine, which is a very common tree in the upper midwest.

I would expect P. nigra bark to be more grayish, but I'm hardly an expert. Maybe it's a very old P. densiflora. Wouldn't that be something?!

I agree, not P.nigra.

When I first looked at the picture, I thought that that was a very healthy, LUSH Scots pine, and left it at that.

Then you remarked maybe densiflora. I've seen lots of P.d., but none so old.

So I perused Google Images, and guess what? Several images of old trees in Japan look VERY much like your image, except the old bark low on the trunk doesn't have quite the orange, but not by much. Otherwise...

I guess the only way to know for sure is a closeup of a cone, and maybe foliage.

Whatever it is it's certainly a keeper.

Ken, you seem like someone who enjoys a nice densiflora.

Table Mnt pine in NC:

I enjoy any conifer, especially OLD ones!

I've always wanted to grow Table Mountain Pine, but never did obtain any.

One clue that this is not P. nigra is the fact it is alive! Most Austrians looking very poorly in the upper midwest these days.

Austrian Pine gets lovely plated bark that is grey w/black...that's P. sylvestris.

kentrees, here's one of my Table Mnt pines:

Pinus sylvestris has bark like that sometimes, normally when it has that low, wide shape. Don't know why.

A good comparison of Pinus sylvestris versus P. nigra bark on mature trees.

I've got brown eyes. My wife-same species as far as I can tell-has hazel/green eyes. Some natural variation is baked into all species, folks!

Is it possible that soil conditions would have some influence on this growth habit? I see this shorter & wider form of P. sylvestris growing in the rich soils of southern Minnesota, while those growing in sandy, lower fertility soils of northern MN and WI tend to be taller and narrower. The trunks of trees growing in rich soils are noticeably wider than what you'd expect considering the height. It makes for a very picturesque tree, and there are beautiful specimens to be found in southern MN. The Scots Pine I posted is in a very rich agricultural area with excellent soils.

Not sure of the veracity of that, Maack, but I do know that Pinus sylvestris is one of those species where mankind has been tinkering with it relentlessly for centuries. Too many variants out there to really know what you've got......without significant research!

Here in my middle of the road east-central WI, I see all manner of Scots pines, big, little, squat, tall, blue-green, dull green, yellow green..........you get the point, I'm sure!

This is what the bark look like at my place, quite distinct from the other trees in this topic. And my pines are totally wild, no one has ever tinkered with them. They grow straight and tall, not like the tree in the starting post even when growing in an open, windy field. Unfortunatly, I like low, squat pines more. Mine are better for timber though.

Toms remarks are right on for Scots pine in my area, one of every possible shape and size and usually not far from one another. There are no native pines in this area but these self seed and spread from planted trees where the area is left undisturbed