The Forestry Forum

Kinda wondering why the tree we call red pine up here isn't called northern yellow pine.  It is so much denser and heavier than white pine and when fresh cut it is yellow, albeit with red stripes and red bark.

Cuz that'd be more confusing ;D

Actually, there is a botanical difference between red pines and yellow pines.  A microscopic observation of the radial section of a red pine will reveal window-like cross-field pitting, while the same view of a yellow pine (both southern yellow pine and western yellow) will display pinioid cross-field pitting.  For this reason, red pine is the easiest of the native hard pines to identify.