Jack Pines (15-65 ft) are the most widely distributed tree in Canada and are also common in the northeastern United States. They grow further north in Canada than any other pine. Jack Pines grow well in poor soil and are often short, gnarled, and crooked when growing in shallow, rocky soil.
Jack Pines have short needles in bunches of two that are spread apart in a V. The cones point forward along the branch or curl around it.
Snowshoe Hares feed on small seedlings, while White-tailed Deer nibble on saplings and young trees. Porcupines eat the bark, which often deforms the tree.
Could it be? Jack Pine needle bunches are v-shaped and less prickly than Scots Pine. Lodgepole Pines also have bunches of two needles, but the cones have prickles at the tip and grow at right angles to the branch or face back towards the trunk. However, Lodgepole Pines hybridize freely with Jack Pines so you may see variations.
Did you know? Most Jack Pine cones are sealed with a special resin and only open to release their seeds during a forest fire or in very hot sunlight.
See Also: Balsam Fir, Common Juniper, Douglas-fir, Engelmann Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Spruce, Tamarack, Western Hemlock, Western Larch, Western Redcedar, Whitebark Pine
