About Pinus strobus L.
Pinus strobus L., commonly known as eastern white pine, belongs to the white pine group (Pinus subgenus Strobus). Like most species in this group, its leaves (called needles) grow in fascicles (bundles), most often of five, rarely three or four, and have a deciduous sheath. The needles are flexible, bluish-green, finely serrated, and measure 5–13 cm (2–5 in) long. Its seed cones are slender, 8–16 cm (3+1⁄4–6+1⁄4 in) long (rarely longer) and 4–5 cm (1+1⁄2–2 in) broad when open. The cone scales have a rounded apex and slightly reflexed tip, and are often resinous. The seeds are 4–5 mm (5⁄32–3⁄16 in) long with a slender 15–20 mm (5⁄8–3⁄4 in) wing, and are dispersed by wind. Peak cone production occurs every 3 to 5 years. Branches form whorls spaced roughly 18 inches apart along the trunk, with five or six branches radiating outward like spokes on a wagon wheel. Eastern white pine is self-fertile, but seeds produced through self-fertilization tend to grow into weak, stunted, malformed seedlings. Most mature trees are 200–250 years old, and some individuals live over 400 years. One tree near Syracuse, New York was dated to 458 years old in the late 1980s, and trees in Michigan and Wisconsin have been dated to roughly 500 years old. When propagating, white pines first develop strong, dominant roots similar to taproots, and later grow lateral roots from terminal shoots. Freshly cut eastern white pine wood is yellowish white or pale straw color, while aged wood from long-lived trees darkens to a deep, rich golden tan. Rarely, light brown boards with unusual yellowish-golden or reddish-brown hues form, and this variant is called the famous "pumpkin pine". Researchers think slow-growing pines in old-growth forests accumulate colored compounds in their heartwood, though genetic factors and soil conditions may also contribute to the rich color development. Patternmakers favor this wood for its easy working properties. Pinus strobus grows in the nearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome of eastern North America. It prefers well-drained or sandy soils and humid climates, but can also grow in boggy areas and rocky highlands. In mixed forests, this dominant tree grows taller than many other trees, including large broadleaf hardwoods. It provides food and shelter for numerous forest birds, such as the red crossbill, and small mammals such as squirrels. Paleobotanist Brian Axsmith of the University of South Alabama has discovered fossilized white pine leaves and pollen in the Gulf Coastal Plain, where the species no longer grows. Originally, eastern white pine forests covered much of north-central and northeastern North America. After extensive logging from the 18th century to the early 20th century, only 1% of the original old-growth forests remain. Old-growth (virgin) stands of eastern white pine are protected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Other protected areas confirmed by the Eastern Native Tree Society to have virgin forests include: in Canada, Algonquin Provincial Park, Quetico Provincial Park, Algoma Highlands (Ontario), and Sainte-Marguerite River Old Forest (Quebec); in the United States, Estivant Pines, Huron Mountains, Porcupine Mountains State Park, and Sylvania Wilderness Area (Upper Peninsula of Michigan), Hartwick Pines State Park (Lower Peninsula of Michigan), Menominee Indian Reservation (Wisconsin), Lost 40 Scientific and Natural Area and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Minnesota), White Pines State Park (Illinois), Cook Forest State Park, Hearts Content Scenic Area, and Anders Run Natural Area (Pennsylvania), and the Linville Gorge Wilderness (North Carolina). Small groves or individual old-growth eastern white pines are found across the species' range in the United States, including Ordway Grove (Maine), Ice Glen (Massachusetts), and Adirondack Park (New York). Many sites with notably large specimens are the product of advanced old-field ecological succession; examples include the tall stands in Mohawk Trail State Forest and William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Massachusetts. As an introduced species, P. strobus is now naturalized in the Outer Western Carpathians (a subdivision of the Carpathian Mountains) in the Czech Republic and southern Poland, having spread from individuals originally planted as ornamental trees. In ecology, cottontail rabbits, snowshoe hares, and porcupines eat the bark of P. strobus. Red squirrels eat the cones to extract the seeds, and seeds are also eaten by crossbills, pine siskins, and white-tailed deer. In Native American traditional use, the name "Adirondack" – an Iroquois word meaning "tree-eater" – referred to their Algonquian neighbors, who collected the inner bark of P. strobus, Picea rubens, and other species during periods of winter starvation. The soft, white inner cambial bark was carefully separated from the hard, dark outer bark, then dried. When pounded, it can be used as flour or added to stretch other starchy food products. The Ojibwe people stewed young staminate cones with meat, and reported they were sweet and not pitchy. The seeds are sweet and nutritious, though not as tasty as seeds from some western nut pines. Various Native American tribes used pine resin (sap) to waterproof baskets, pails, and boats. The Ojibwe also used pine resin to successfully treat infections. Pinus strobus is cultivated by plant nurseries as an ornamental tree for planting in gardens and parks. The species is low-maintenance and grows quickly when used as a specimen tree. With regular shearing, it can also be trained as a hedge, and some cultivars are used for bonsai.
