A medium-size tree, reaching 20-35m tall. The trunk diameter is up to around 1.2m. The bark is orange-red, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk (pictured), somewhat thinner in the upper crown.
The needles are in pairs, around 2mm broad, 12-22cm long, and bluish-green to yellowish-green. The cones are conic, 10-20 cm long and 4-6 cm broad at the base when closed, green at first, ripening glossy red-brown when 24 months old. They open slowly over the next few years to release their seeds. Picture taken February 10th, 2011 in the pine wood at Wells-next-to-the-Sea, Norfolk.