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How Tall Do Pine Trees Get? (Read This First!)

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Pine trees are synonymous to being evergreen. These trees can hold leaves all year round and are popular for their height. But how high can they actually go? In this article, we will discuss how tall pine trees can get, in a year and throughout their life.

We will also discuss if they ever stop growing. The article will also provide you a clear insight into pine trees in comparison to other trees. So without further ado, let’s read ahead to learn more about it.

How tall do pine trees get?

Pine trees can grow very tall, they stand among the tallest trees in many regions. They can grow as tall as 45 to 63 meters. It takes them a long time to reach maturity, before you can harvest their wood. A pine tree takes about 25 to 30 years to grow mature.

If you’re looking to plant a tree that grows quite tall quite fast, then you should be looking at pine trees. These trees are an incredible choice for enhancing the aesthetics of your landscape.

In addition, they remain evergreen throughout their lifetime, so you will be able to enjoy its beauty for a long time.

In addition to that, their heavy and tall body allows the pine trees to also work as a privacy screen for your landscape. Let’s now take a look at how tall different kinds of pine trees get.

White pine trees:

White pine trees are among the tallest pine trees around. White pine trees grow as tall as 63 meters. Their length typically ranges between 45 to 63 meters.

White pine trees have a long lifespan, if they are allowed to grow undisturbed. Their average lifespan is 200 years. And these trees can live as long as 450 years.

Loblolly pine trees:

Loblolly pine trees can grow between 60 to 90 feet tall. These trees can spread to about 25 to 35 feet when they grow mature.

Dwarf pine trees:

Dwarf pine trees can get as tall as 4 to 7 feet tall. They are called Dwarf for a reason. These trees spread up to 6 to 10 feet.

Norfolk island pine trees:

Norfolk island pine trees can grow as tall as 60 meters, spreading to up to 10 feet in diameter. These are pretty large in size, and can have a huge contribution in the beauty of your lifespan. 

Do pine trees grow tall? How tall do pine trees grow in a year?

There are many kinds of pine trees. Their height varies depending on the type of tree that we are talking about. You should note that most pine trees are pretty tall and they grow taller than the deciduous trees.

On average, the common pine trees grow to be something between 50 to 100 feet tall. So pine trees are generally considered to grow quite tall.

Pine trees live a long time as well. Their yearly growth depends on the type of pine tree that you’re looking after. But on average, pine trees grow roughly one to two feet in a year.

There are several other factors involved here as well. For example, you will have to consider the weather factors in the particular region that you are considering.

In addition, the soil quality, maintenance and other factors have a massive impact on the rate of yearly growth of pine trees. 

How tall do these pine trees grow?

Different kinds of pine trees grow at different rates, they grow to very different heights as well. Let’s take a look at how tall different pine trees grow:

Italian cypress:

Italian cypress is a pretty tall tree. They can grow as tall as 115 feet. In addition, they can expand up to a diameter of 10 feet. So these trees are generally considered to be very large and wide.

Note that the italian cypress trees are symmetric in their shape and they have a very dense columnar crown. So you will be able to use these plants both for their wood as well as aesthetics.

Ponderosa pine:

Ponderosa pine is one of the tallest trees in the Southwest region of the country.

These trees can grow to an incredible height of 200 feet. And their trunks can grow as large as 3 to 4 feet in diameter. So all in all, these trees are great for harvesting wood.

Scots pine:

Scots pine grows about 60 feet tall. These trees can also grow up to 40 feet in diameter, which makes them one of the widest trees in the region. These measurements are for when they grow mature.

They grow especially well in the sunny regions. The cones that contain seed in these trees take about 2 years to mature.

European larch:

The European larch trees grow throughout winter, spring, summer and fall. These plants can grow as tall as 70 to 100 feet. And they can expand to a diameter of 2 feet.

Western red cedar:

The western red cedar trees can grow as tall as 60 meters. And they can spread up to 6 meters. Their base is very strong and you can effectively harvest the wood of these trees.

Douglas fir:

The douglas fir trees can grow as tall as 250 feet. And they can spread to a diameter of 6 feet.

How tall is a 30-year-old pine tree? How long does it take for a pine tree to grow to full size?

If the tree is taken care of and grows in a good condition, a 30 year-old pine tree is about 20 meter in height and 0.3 meter in diameter. It is a pretty large tree.

If the tree is grown in well drained and well moisturized soil, then it will be able to outgrow any other tree in the region.

Typically, pine trees live for many decades. So they take their sweet time to mature and grow. On average, a pine tree takes something between 25 to 30 years to mature properly. Most pine trees, during that time, are used to harvesting wood.

Do pine trees ever stop growing?

The short answer to this question is yes and no. So it obviously needs some explanation. So here goes:

As time passes and they mature, the growth rate of pine trees keeps reducing. At one point, the pine trees stop growing in height. But they do not stop growing in width.

Pine trees, for very practical reasons, stop growing in their height. But they keep growing wider past their mature age. So we cannot say that pine trees stop growing altogether.

While they get slow at it, pine trees continue to grow in their width. Their trunk keeps getting wider, so you will be able to harvest more wood from the older trees.

How do pine trees compare to other trees in terms of height?

Palm trees grow quite tall in their height compared to other plants. This is how they compare to other trees in terms of height:

Evergreen foliage:

The pine trees happen to have green needles and leaves all over their body. So these plants can store high levels of sunlight and water in their body. This also allows the pine trees to remain evergreen even during the winter and fall.

This allows pine trees to grow taller than most trees in the region. While the average height of a deciduous tree is 15 to 25 meters, pine trees can reach a height of 45 meters on average. Some pine trees can even grow as tall as 90 meters. 

Lose of growth buds:

Different types of pine trees grow at different rates. But however tall they grow, pine trees lose their growth buds when they reach their maximum height. While the growth buds may not harm the tree, it exposes them to a range of infections.

Age of the trees:

Pine trees live for a long time compared to other trees of this kind. The pine trees generally reach their maximum height by the time they are 50 to 145 years old.

Scots pine trees are among the free trees with the longest lifespan. When taken care of properly and grown in well-moisturized soil, the Scots pines can live as long as 700 years.

These trees produce cones when they are 7 years old. And you can harvest their wood by the time they are 25 to 30 years of age.

Final Thoughts

Pine trees are among some of the tallest trees in the plant. On average, pine trees can grow between 45 to 63 meters. Some pine trees can grow as tall as 90 meters. After they reach their maximum height, these plants stop growing in height but they continue to grow in width.

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