Pines are found in the Eastern Hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to northern Africa. Several Old World species are cultivated in America.

one of the most valuable of Eurasian trees. It is a source of durable timber, and of oils and resins. In its extreme northern range it is small, but farther south it attains heights of 100 to 150 feet (30 to 45 m). The tree grows from Norway south to Spain and northern Italy, and from the British Isles east to Russia's Kamchatka peninsula. The Scotch pine is cultivated in the United States for both reforestation and ornamental purposes.

The Scotch pine is P. sylvestris.

an important timber tree in the Mediterranean. It reaches a height of 100 feet (30 m) or more. The cluster pine is the most important European source of turpentine. It is planted for reforestation purposes, and on sandy shores as a binder of shifting dunes.

The cluster pine is P. pinaster.

include the Italian stone pine and the Swiss stone pine. Stone pines reach a height of 80 feet (24 m). They are cultivated for their edible seeds and as ornamentals. The Italian stone pine is native to Mediterranean regions of Europe and Africa. The Swiss stone pine is found in the mountains of central Europe and of Siberia.

The Italian stone pine is P. pinea; the Swiss, P. cembra.