Dark Pines: ‘The tension is unrelenting, and I can’t wait for Tuva’s next outing.’ - Val McDermid: A Tuva Moodyson Mystery 1 (The Tuva Moodyson Mysteries)

Product Information

The thinleaf pine is a medium-sized pine tree known for its slender, drooping, light green needles, which typically grow in bundles of five. The seed cones are asymmetrical, red-brown, and grow in groups of 3 – 4. Its branches are horizontally spreading. Other identification tips for conifers are to look closely at the type of bark and how the tree grows. The bishop pine is a medium-sized pine with either yellow- or blue-green needles, depending on the location. The pine’s needles are 3 to 6.5 inches (8 – 16 cm) long and are found in pairs. The crown is either round or irregularly shaped.

The easy-to-identify Italian stone pine has a distinctive appearance of an umbrella. Identifiable features of the Italian stone pine are its orange-red bark, hard, green needles growing in pairs, and broadly ovoid, shiny brown seed cones. The Chihuahua pine has gray-brown, fissured bark that is divided into irregular, scaly plates. This pine is occasionally found in southern Arizona and New Mexico, though it is most commonly found in Mexico. Its hard, dense wood is often used for construction purposes. The needles on Virginia pines are not soft and are quite sharp to touch. Despite this fact, small varieties of Virginia pines are also popular Christmas trees. They have red and brown bark that has a rough texture. Pine trees in the subgroup of “soft pines” tend to be white pine trees with five needles per bundle. Varieties of soft-needled pines include the western white pine ( Pinus monticola), the eastern white pine ( Pinus strobus), the limber pine ( Pinus flexilis), and the Japanese white pine ( Pinus parviflora). Hard needled pines I paused some time to reflect on all he had related and the various arguments which he had employed. I thought of the promise of virtues which he had displayed on the opening of his existence and the subsequent blight of all kindly feeling by the loathing and scorn which his protectors had manifested towards him. His power and threats were not omitted in my calculations; a creature who could exist in the ice-caves of the glaciers and hide himself from pursuit among the ridges of inaccessible precipices was a being possessing faculties it would be vain to cope with. After a long pause of reflection I concluded that the justice due both to him and my fellow creatures demanded of me that I should comply with his request. Turning to him, therefore, I said,

Ponderosa pines usually grow to a height of around 60 to 125 ft. (18 – 38 m), with the tallest reaching 235 ft. (72 m). The green flexible needles grow to around 8” (20 cm) and they have 3 in each bundle growing on the shoots.

The foxtail pine is a five-needle conifer species that can be identified by its deeply fissured reddish bark, cylindric or egg-shaped cones that turn from purple to reddish-brown, and small needle leaves growing 1” to 1.5” (2 – 4 cm) long. Conifers are also a fast-growing type of tree that grow in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Many conifer species are cold hardy and can withstand freezing conditions. Other types of pine and fir trees are better suited to warmer climates. Similar to deciduous trees, spruces, pines, and fir trees lose their needle-like leaves. However, this happens gradually, and due to this, conifers keep their foliage and green color all year long. This living fossil was thought to be extinct for two million years until a small population was discovered in the Blue Mountains of Australia in 1994. Most pine and spruce conifer species tend to have upturned branches. This branch growth helps to distinguish them from conifers like firs as their branches are usually downward turned.The Douglas pine has a pyramidal crown when young and a round crown when it matures. Its bark is red-brown, initially smooth and gradually becoming rough and scaly as the tree ages. This pine tree is native to Mexico and is known for its good timber quality. The pine features egg-shaped, chestnut-brown cones. The pine tree’s bark is scaly, gray-brown, and has deep fissures. Interestingly, the bark is reddish-orange on the upper trunk, with a flaky texture. However, the series’ lead actor Alfred Molina has already teased that there are plans in place for Three Pines season 2. The lacebark pine tree is a three needled pine identified by its smooth, colorful bark, long stiff needles, turpentine aroma from crushed foliage, and small egg-shaped brown cones. Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex that has over 500 acres of plants from around the world and is home to the Millennium Seed Bank.