These three types of pines can easily be told apart when the details of the appearance of each are known.

Jack Pine - This tree is also known as scrub pine, grey pine, banksian pine, pine princess, and princy. Compared to its grand and glorious cousins, the jack pine is small and scraggly, with its few branches growing far apart, and so grows best in sandy and rocky areas. Its dark needles grow 0.8 to 2 inches, and its bark goes from a light brown to a darker brown as it ages. The jack pine usually grows 40 to 60 feet. The only opportunity for the jack pine to reproduce is when a forest fire occurs, releasing the seeds of the trees. The lumber taken from jack pines is not nearly as valuable as other types of pine.

Red Pine - Otherwise known as Canadian red pine, hard pine, bull pine and Norway pine, the red pine is another of the large pine species. While it has a hard time growing in areas with less sunlight, it flourishes in dry, sunny, sandy and rocky areas. It is one of the trees more likely to survive forest fires, insects and fungi, and so is often used for reforestation. Its seeds provide food for red squirrels and many songbirds, and people can eat its shoots, young cones, inner bark and needles - the taste is piny but pleasant. The red pine can grow up to 125 feet, with needles 4 to 6.5 inches long.

White Pine - Also known as Yellow pine, Quebec pine, Weymouth pine, majestic pine, cork pine, pattern pine and pumpkin pine, the White pine was highly valued by the Ojibwe who lived around the Mississagi River. The White pine is an immensely tall tree, growing up to 240 feet, with fairly few branches. Its needles are usually 2 to 4 inches long, with 5 to the bundle. Its thin, pointed cones grow 3 to 10 inches long, and its bark is greyish-green and smooth when young, and a darker grey and rough when older. The lumber of the White pine is excellent for building houses. Its enemies include White Pine blister and White Pine weevil. The White Pine's shoots, young cones, inner bark and needles can be eaten by people - they are rather tasty, although slightly piney.