Pinus sylvestris, the Scots pine (European red pine), occurs throughout Europe, usually above 1.000 meters in altitude. It tolerates the cold weather (it occurs in Siberia…) and can live for hundreds of years.

In Portugal, spontaneous populations in the Gerês mountains have been cultivated in several mountains in the north and centre of the country, such as Marão Sierra, where I recorded this image. The trunk can reach 40 meters in height and lose its lower branches. The reddish-brown colour of the rhytidome is a distinctive characteristic among the pine species that exist in Portugal and has a wonderful scenic effect when we observe a set of these trees.

While walking through the Marão last November, I marvelled at stretches of forests of this species. The reddish colour of the trunk's bark contrasted with the green colour of the leaves that shined under the sunlight. On some trees, ivy grew up the trunks, further enhancing the beauty of this autumnal landscape.