I made a New Year’s resolution at the beginning of 2023 – to plant at least one eastern white pine tree in my yard. Eastern white pine is a native evergreen found throughout the eastern portion of North America. It likes cool and humid conditions and grows well in a variety of soils, University of Maine Extension says. This beautiful tree has soft, 2.5 to 5 inch long blue-green needles which grow in clusters of five.
White pines have been known to live up to 200 years or more, growing to a majestic height of 150 feet, and up to three to four feet in diameter. It is easy to see why you need some space in your landscape to grow this lofty tree.
On young trees, the bark is thin and smooth, as the tree ages, the bark becomes dark grey to brown and is fissured, with deep ridges and indents.
White pine cones are lovely. The tree is monoecious, which means it produces both male and female cones. Cones are formed in the spring during May and June. Male cones have overlapping scales which open to release pollen. Female cones start out green in color and can be up to eight inches long and one inch wide. The cones ripen to brown when seeds are mature and ready to be released.
White pines are used for Christmas trees because of their pyramidal shape and soft needles. They are also harvested for lumber. White pine provides shelter for woodland animals and birds. Squirrel and deer sometimes feed on the seeds.
White pine grows relatively quickly compared to other tree species in its habitat range, the University of Maine says. If you have white pine in your landscape, protect it from road salt, winter wind, and ice. White pines are susceptible to white pine blister rust, which can kill the tree. Both gooseberry and wild currant can harbor rust. Keep these plants away from white pine.
Pam Shade, a horticulturist and educator at Cornell Botanic Gardens, wrote in 2022 about the significance of white pine to Native Americans. The tree symbolizes strength, protection and longevity to members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
“The white pine is known as the Great Tree of Peace,” Shade wrote. “The tree figures prominently in historical events leading to the creation of the Great Law of Peace, which guides Haudenosaunee social and political culture.”
She explained that when the alliance was formed between leaders of the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga and the Seneca nations, they met beneath the branches of an eastern white pine tree, which became known as the Great Tree of Peace. Additionally, the five-clustered needles of the white pine represent the five original Haudenosaunee nations, Shade wrote.
It is now December of 2023, and I have not fulfilled my New Year’s resolution to plant a white pine. It is probably now a little too late to plant before the end of this year, but it will be at the top of the garden to-do list for 2024!
