Jack pine is a medium-size tree that grows to about 80 feet (25 meters).
Needles: Bundles of 2, sometimes twisted.
Cones: Egg-shaped when open. Often remain closed on the tree.
Where it grows: Native to Central and Southeast Canada, Great Lakes region and Northeast United States.
Similar tree: Lodgpole pine has gray bark and prickly cones that grow straight out from the branch or point back. You can distinguish jack pine by its orange bark and the way the cones point forward on the branch. Also, the cones lack the prickles seen and felt on lodgepole pine cones.
Names: Named in honor of English botanist Sir Joseph Banks. Other common names: eastern jack pine, black pine, black jack pine, and scrub pine.
© 2025 Ken Denniston