Editing Pinus sylvestris (section)

== Uses ==
[[File:Pinus sylvestris Sturm01.jpg|thumb|{{center|Botanical plate}}]]
[[File:Meenikunno maastikukaiteala.jpg|thumb|Scots pine forest in [[Estonia]]]]

''Pinus sylvestris'' is an important tree in [[forestry]]. The wood is used for [[pulpwood|pulp]] and sawn [[timber]] products. A seedling stand can be created by planting, sowing, or natural regeneration. Commercial [[plantation]] rotations vary between 50 and 120 years, with longer rotations in northeastern areas where growth is slower.

In Scandinavian countries, the pine was used for making [[tar]] in the preindustrial age. Some active tar producers still exist, but that industry has almost ceased.<ref name=steven /><ref name=pravdin /> The pine has also been used as a source of [[rosin]] and [[turpentine]].

The [[wood]] is pale brown to red-brown, and used for general construction work. It has a dry [[density]] around 470&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup> (varying with growth conditions), an [[open porosity]] of 60%, a [[fibre saturation point]] of 0.25&nbsp;kg/kg, and a saturation [[moisture content]] of 1.60&nbsp;kg/kg.<ref name=pravdin /> The pine fibres are used to make the textile known as [[vegetable flannel]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Vegetable flannel|url=http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/Vegetable%20flannel|website=Webster's 1913 Dictionary |access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> which has a [[Hemp#Fiber|hemp]]-like appearance, but with a tighter, softer texture.<ref name=cole>{{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=G. S.|title=A Complete Dictionary of Dry Goods and History of Silk, Cotton, Linen, Wool, and other Fibrous Substances, etc etc |edition=revised |date=1892 |url=https://archive.org/details/completedictiona00coleiala/page/364/mode/2up |publisher=W. B. Conkey Company |place=Chicago |pages=365–366 |oclc=401856 |ol=7231038M |ol-access=free}}</ref>

The pine has also been widely planted in New Zealand and much of the colder regions of North America; it was one of the first trees introduced to North America, in about 1600.<ref name="Moore2008">{{cite book |last1=Kershner |first1=B. |last2=Mathews |first2=D. |last3=Nelson |first3=G. |last4=Spellenberg |first4=R. |last5=Purinton |first5=T. |last6=Block |first6=A. |last7=Moore |first7=G. |last8=Thieret |first8=J. W. |title=National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America |date=2008 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Company |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4027-3875-3 |oclc=705626973 |ol=11637505M |page=67 |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalwildlife0000unse/page/66/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}</ref> It is listed as an [[invasive species]] in some areas there, including [[Ontario]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.powerhalton.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=XUOjld%2Fmr8o%3D&tabid=67|title=Invasive Ontario Plants|publisher=Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources|access-date=17 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426060136/http://www.powerhalton.ca/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=XUOjld%2Fmr8o=&tabid=67|archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref> [[Michigan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eddmaps.org/tools/stateplants.cfm?id=us_mi |title=Species found in Michigan|work=Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System|publisher=Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the [[University of Georgia]]|access-date=17 December 2011}}</ref> It has been widely used in the United States for the [[Christmas tree]] trade, and was one of the most popular Christmas trees from the 1950s through the 1980s. It remains popular for that usage, though it has been eclipsed in popularity, by such species as [[Fraser fir]], [[Douglas-fir]], and others. Despite its invasiveness in parts of eastern North America, the pine does not often grow well there, partly due to climate and soil differences between its native habitat and that of North America, and partly due to damage by pests and diseases; the tree often grows in a twisted, haphazard manner if not tended to (as they are in the Christmas tree trade).<ref name=gymno /><ref name="feis"/> The pines may be killed by the [[Bursaphelenchus xylophilus|pine wood nematode]], which causes pine [[wilt disease]]. The nematode most often attacks trees that are at least ten years old and often kills trees it infects within a few weeks.<ref name="umizzou">{{cite book |last1=Gleason |first1=M. |last2=Linit |first2=M. |last3=Zriba |first3=N. |last4=Donald |first4=P. |last5=Tisserat |first5=N. |last6=Giesler |first6=L. |editor1-last=Edwards |editor1-first=E. |title=Pine Wilt: A Fatal Disease of Exotic Pines in the Midwest |series=Sustainable Urban Landscapes |date=2000 |publisher=Iowa State University |url=http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/miscpubs/mx0858.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515204229/http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/miscpubs/mx0858.pdf |id=SUL 9 |access-date=20 May 2023 |archive-date=15 May 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

Previously, the pine was grown in and used extensively by the coal mining regions of Flanders, Belgium. It was used to fortify tunnels, primarily because it would make a cracking sound when in need of replacement. Large patches of forest, mostly containing the species, are still scattered over the countryside.

=== Cultivars ===
Several [[cultivars]] are grown for ornamental purposes in parks and large gardens, of which 'Aurea',<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/99295/i-Pinus-sylvestris-i-(Aurea-Group)-Aurea/Details
| title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Pinus sylvestris'' (Aurea Group) 'Aurea' | access-date = 30 April 2018}}</ref> 'Beuvronensis',<ref>{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector – ''Pinus sylvestris'' 'Beuvronensis'|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/91667/Pinus-sylvestris-Beuvronensis/Details | access-date = 6 February 2021}}</ref> 'Frensham',<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/63382/i-Pinus-sylvestris-i-Frensham/Details
| title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Pinus sylvestris'' 'Frensham' | access-date = 30 April 2018}}</ref> and 'Gold Coin'<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/66741/i-Pinus-sylvestris-i-Gold-Coin/Details
| title = RHS Plantfinder - ''Pinus sylvestris'' 'Gold Coin' | access-date = 25 April 2018}}</ref> have gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 78 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 30 April 2018}}</ref>