Pine Trees

By Vanessa Blokland

 

Pine trees are found all over the world. They have trunks, bark, branches, needles, seeds, and cones.

 

Trunks:

         Pine tree trunks grow up straight.

         The trunk makes the tree tall.

 

Bark:

  Bark protects the tree.

  Pine tree bark can be brown, black, or red.

  The bark is smooth or can have cracks.

  The bark can become gray with age.

  The bark keeps bugs out.

 

Branches:

  Pine tree branches are short at the top and long at the bottom.

  Branches have needles and cones on them.

 

Needles:

  Needles grow on branches.

  Needles are the Pine trees leaves.

  Needles grow in groups.

  Needles can stay on the branches for 3 to 4 years.

  Bugs do not like to eat the needles because they are hard, and spiky.

 

Cones:

  Cones grow on branches.

  Cones are brown.

  Cones fall of the branches in the fall.

  Cones have woody parts called scales.

  Pinecones have seeds under the scales.

  Pinecones will only drop seeds when it’s a warm day.

 

Seeds:

  Seeds grow under the scales of the pinecone.

  Seeds fall off pinecones and make new trees.

      

Roots:

  Soak up water from the ground.

  Soak up minerals from the ground.

  Help bring food to the tree so it can grow.

 

       Spring:

             At this time pine tree’s have nice green

             needles.

 

Summer:

  The pine tree still has nice green needles.

   Pinecones begin to appear.

 

Fall:

  The pinecones grow larger and fall off.

 

Winter:

  Pine trees keep all their needles.

  The needles stay on the branches.

  The weather does not damage the needles.

 

Pine Tree Popularity:  Maine’s state tree is the white pine. The pine tree is very popular and many other states have it as their tree.

 

The states are as follows:

 

States                 Type of Pine

 

That just shows you what a popular tree the pine is.

 

 

More Online Resources:

Maine Department of conservation.  “Kids Page- Maine Tree Guide.” 2001.

http://www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/kids/treeguide.html 

50 States    http://www.50states.com/

 

 

 VB