# How do I tell a pine tree from a yew tree? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149 "2012-04-08T03:28:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Imago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@Imago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imago)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/1 "2012-04-08T03:28:13Z")
Title says it all. In fact, telling evergreens apart at all is something I’d really like a primer on, as the only ones I can identify on sight are blue spruce by their distinctive colour. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/2 "2012-04-08T03:35:06Z")
The needles. Pines have round pointy needles and yews have flat and rounded ones. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/3 "2012-04-08T03:51:30Z")
Pine tree needles are in bunches. Yew needles are attached along the branch. BTW, the blue color is not exclusive to blue spruces. The concolor fir is blue, too. But it’s pretty easy to tell a spruce from a fir. Fir needles are flat. Spruce needles are square. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/4 "2012-04-08T03:58:50Z")
[How to Recognise Different Types of Trees from Quite a Long Way Away](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug8nHaelWtc). Number one: [The larch](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/M%C3%A9l%C3%A8ze_en_Automne.JPG). The larch. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/5 "2012-04-09T15:06:01Z")
> [@Imago](#): > > In fact, telling evergreens apart at all is something I’d really like a primer on, as the only ones I can identify on sight are blue spruce by their distinctive colour. Here’s one rule of thumb: If the cones point upward, it’s a [fir.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fir) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/6 "2012-04-09T15:26:23Z")
Number one. [The Larch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Siberian-larch.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tell-a-pine-tree-from-a-yew-tree/618149/7 "2012-04-10T10:01:44Z")
if it makes red “[berries](http://www.google.ch/search?q=yew+berries&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=TQKET_HqDeWA4gSV_uHxBw&ved=0CEAQsAQ&biw=1151&bih=936)”, it is a yew. If it makes cones, it’s not. In a cross-section of the stem, [yew wood](http://www.google.ch/search?hl=en&biw=1151&bih=936&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=yew+wood&oq=yew+wood&aq=f&aqi=g9g-m1&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0l9j0i5.84591l85808l0l87014l4l4l0l0l0l0l465l680l3j4-1l4l0.frgbld.) typically shows a dark core surrounded by light wood. [Yew needles](http://www.google.ch/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1151&bih=936&q=yew+needles&gbv=2&oq=yew+needles&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_l=img.3..0.2979l6314l0l7081l11l11l0l4l4l0l107l511l6j1l7l0.frgbld.) are arranged on opposite sides of the branch. The closest-lookin conifer is the silver fir, [its needles](http://www.google.ch/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1151&bih=936&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=silver+fir+needles&oq=silver+fir+needles&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=img.3...2721l9220l0l9723l18l18l0l8l2l0l390l824l7j3-1l8l0.frgbld.) show a similar arrangement, but show two whitish stripes on the lower side of the needle-