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Pinus strobus (eastern white pine)

Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus, is well known in the Midwest; although its natural Midwestern range is northern and Appalachian, the tree is planted in yards and parks everywhere, and plantations of white pines, marching in rows, are found in many Midwestern state parks. It is a fast-growing, large tree that can provide dense canopy cover, and a walk in a plantation or stand of white pines is trip through deep shade over a blanket of soft needle duff.

Like all true pines (species in the genus Pinus), white pine has bundled needles; it is the only species in the Midwest with needles bundled in groups of 5 (other Midwestern pines have 2 or 3 needles per bundle). The long cones of white pine are also distinctive, since they are substantially longer than the cones of any other Midwestern conifer except Norway spruce, which is not native but is often planted in urban areas. However, the short needles of Norway spruce are not bundled, making the trees easy to separate.

Midwestern range
natural midwestern range

Pinus strobus
young, untended trees are dense with branches

 

Pinus strobus
mature trees, when unimpeded, have a spreading stature

 

Pinus strobus
roots of a very old specimen in northern Michigan


Pinus strobus
needles are 2—4 inches long, flexible, in bundles of 5


Pinus strobus
young seed (female) cones are green and tightly closed . . .

 

Pinus strobus
. . . becoming brown and, eventually . . .

Pinus strobus
. . . opening up between scales; cones are 4–8 inches long


Pinus strobus
needle duff under white pines can be quite thick


Pinus strobus
pollen (male) cones are small and yellowish

 

Pinus strobus
pollen cones on branch tips


male cones releasing pollen


Pinus strobus
young bark is smooth and nearly white

 

Pinus strobus
maturing bark becomes gray

 

Pinus strobus
mature bark is platelike and grayish brown




References: Peattie 1948, GN Jones 1971, Miller & Jaques 1978, Kricher & Morrison 1988, Preston 1989, RL Jones 2005, Mohlenbrock 2006, Kershaw 2007, Sibley 2009, Voss & Reznicek 2012, Mohlenbrock 2014, Hilty 2021, USDA 2021.



Kuo, Michael & Melissa Kuo (November, 2021). Pinus strobus (eastern white pine). Retrieved from the midwestnaturalist.com website: www.midwestnaturalist.com/pinus_strobus.html

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