THE CHRISTMAS PINE: a magical story for Christmas by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo and Stick Man

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The Table Mountain pine is a small pine tree reaching a height of 20 to 39 ft. (6 – 12 m). It can be identified by its yellow- to mid-green needles that grow in bundles of two. The cones are usually shiny and are a copper-brown color.

The gray pine tree is a relatively short pine species, growing 36 to 45 ft. (11 – 14 m) tall. The drought-tolerant pine adapts well to desert conditions and grows well in most soil types. Additionally, the tree has a slightly weeping appearance due to the sparse, drooping needles growing on wiry branches. Pine tree identificationPond pine trees are native southern pine trees that thrive in USDA zones 7 through 9. The evergreen conifers grow up to 70 ft. (21 m) high and perform well in most soil types. Pine tree identification The gray pine tree has easily identifiable features that include sizable rounded pine cones, long pale grayish-green needles in fascicles of three, sparse leaf growth, and a conic crown that leans to one side. An identifying feature of pine trees is whether the needles are soft or hard. Soft needled pines usually have fascicles with five needles, whereas hard needled pines have two or three needles per bundle. Soft needled pines

The Mexican weeping pine is easy to recognize in the landscape. Distinctive features include thin, weeping needle leaves, long dark brown conical cones that are slightly bent, and scaly red bark that becomes fissured and gray with age. Pine tree identification In these activities for KS1 and KS2, children read Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson’s new poem ‘The Christmas Pine’ and are invited to find out more about their favourite plant and write a dramatic monologue from its perspective. A great activity for the end of term, with links to science and learning about other cultures, this plan can be completed as a class, in groups or individually. Children can follow the poem frame or make up their own structure. It can be made to be very Christmassy - or not Christmassy at all! The gray pine tree is a native conifer to North America and is characterized by its conical crown, sparse foliage, egg-shaped brown cones, and long gray-green needles. The three-needled gray pine has needles growing 8” to 12” (20 – 30 cm) long. And a unique feature of the gray pine tree is its heavy, barrel-like cones which can weigh up to 1.5 lbs. (0.7 kg).

Wood from pine trees is used to make furniture, flooring, construction frames, and timber. Pine wood is also an important source of pulp to make paper. The Apache pine is a medium-sized species of pine tree characterized by its dark brown bark with shallow fissures. It has dull-green needles that grow in bundles of three, occasionally up to five. The needles measure 8 to 15 inches (20 – 38 cm) long. The Bosnian pine can also be identified by its light-gray bark with distinctive, alligator-like scales. This pine tree is often grown as an ornamental feature in parks or large gardens due to its decorative bark and cones.