Pinus Strobus, Eastern White Pine Tree and Shrub Identification Fact Sheet

This is the tree, shrub, and vine identification project fact sheet for Pinus strobus; Eastern White Pine. This fact sheet may not be copied in part or in whole and submitted as one's own project, but may be cited as a source of facts during one's own research. See tree, shrub, and vine identification project main page for links to other plants, and evergreen tree slideshow for pictures.

Plant Botanical Name: Pinus strobus

Common Name: Eastern White Pine

Family Name: Pinaceae

Plant is Native to What Country: Eastern US and Canada

Plant Height at Maturity: 50-80 feet, can reach 130 feet in forests.

Plant Habit and Form: Evergreen trees conical in youth, with variation of habit at maturity. Fast growing fine textured trees have lateral branching.

Foliage: Needles in groups of five, green with a bluish cast, to 4" long. Needles are thin and flexible, with two white stomatical lines on underside.

Bark: Bark on younger stems is smooth and gray to gray green, becoming furrowed and brownish gray with age.

Flower: Flowers monoecious, with male flowers distributing pollen in May.

Fruit/Seed: Seed enclosed in a cone, 1-1.5" wide and 4-8" long. Cones are curved with a point and the scales are covered with pine tar to assume a frosted appearance. Cones mature during the second year.

Growing Requirements: Trees prefer a well drained but moist soil that is slightly acidic, but grow well in a wide range of sites, elevations, soil types, and situations. Trees like full sun but tolerate partial shade. Hardy to Zone 3.

Problems and Drawbacks: Wood is weak, often suffering storm damage. Trees often lose branches in winter storms. Cones are sometimes a litter liability. Trees are affected by the White Pine Weevil which kills the leader resulting in a crooked trunk. White Pine Blister Rust can be a major problem. Trees do not like salt or pollution. Winter burn is a problem along roadsides.

Special Uses: Trees transplant easily, can be sheared as a hedge, used as a windbreak, or as a specimen tree.

ID Tips/Remarks: Five needles per bunch.

Bibliography: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/p/pinstr/pinstr1.html, http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=PIST, http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pinstr/all.html