Red Pine
Pinus resinosa
- Plant Type
- Tree (Evergreen)
- Landscape Layer
- Canopy
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Sand, Silt, Rocky / Acidic
- Bloom
- April, May
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
- 🔑 Keystone
- Pinus is a top-tier keystone genus supporting 232 lepidoptera species in the Outaouais ecoregion. Red pine provides critical larval host resources for 59 unique insect species, including the Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon) which uses Pinus as its exclusive larval host. The evergreen canopy furnishes year-round cover and nesting habitat for songbirds, while persistent seed cones supply winter forage for crossbills and other seed-eating birds [S10, S72].
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Panthea furcilla, Cupido comyntas, Glaucopsyche lygdamus, Colias philodice, Amorpha juglandis, Limenitis arthemis, Papilio glaucus, Acronicta funeralis, Callosamia promethea, Campaea perlata, Paonias excaecatus, Actias luna, Euclea delphinii, Lophocampa caryae, Schizura concinna
- 🐝 Specialist Bee Host
LLM: S17 matching lines show bees specializing on Fabaceae/Cercis/Vaccinium, not Pinus; no confirmed Pinus pollen specialist found
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) feeds on red pine seeds. Additional winter seed consumers include White-winged Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Dark-eyed Junco. Seeds ripen October to February and cones are persistent [S29, S11], providing a reliable mid-winter food resource. The evergreen crown also offers thermal shelter for roosting birds.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in both Canada (N5) and the US (N5). Not listed under SARA. Ranked S5 in both Ontario and Quebec. While secure range-wide, local populations may be declining due to fire suppression, which limits natural regeneration. Frequently planted throughout its range, complicating the distinction between native and introduced populations [S62, S7].
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S5 – Secure, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Red pine occupies a narrow ecological niche on well-drained, nutrient-poor sandy and rocky acidic soils in the boreal-mixed forest transition [S6, S10]. It is a fire-dependent species requiring periodic burns to expose mineral soil for seedbed preparation and to eliminate competing vegetation. In the Outaouais, it occurs on sandy plains, rock outcrops, and ridge tops, often associated with jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and white pine (Pinus strobus) [S7, S10]. Gillett & White (1978) recorded it as common on the Quebec side of the Ottawa-Hull region.
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [HIGH]: S11 Fire Resistant = Yes (definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]
- Notes
- Functions as a canopy anchor in sandy-soil woodland guilds, providing persistent evergreen cover and windbreak structure [S29, S72]. Its deep lateral root system stabilizes sandy soils. Leaf litter terpenes may inhibit germination of some understory species, so companion plantings should favour acid-tolerant, pine-adapted species. Hemenway lists pine for seed (Sd), shelter (Sh), and nesting (Ns) bird services.
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Antiseptic, Analgesic, Diuretic, Rubefacient, Stimulant, Vermifuge, Vulnerary
S29 S28 Moerman Drug categories: Cold Remedy, Stimulant, Analgesic
- Notes
- Turpentine from the resin is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient, and vermifuge, used internally for kidney and bladder complaints and externally for skin wounds, burns, and boils. Algonquin Tete-de-Boule applied inner bark poultice to the chest for strong colds. Ojibwa used powdered dried leaves as an inhalant stimulant and a decoction of leaves and bark in herbal steam baths for headache and backache. Potawatomi used leaf fumigant to revive comatose patients. Listed as an approved herbal ingredient by Health Canada NHPID.
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Not traditionally consumed as food. A vanillin flavouring can be obtained as a by-product of resins from the pulpwood. PFAF edibility rating is 1 of 5. Moerman records no food uses among Indigenous peoples.
- Toxicity
-
△ Low Toxicity
No toxicity reported [S38, S11]. Wood, sawdust, and resins from pine species can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. No alkaloids or systemic toxins documented.
Seed Source
- Blue Sea