Eastern White Pine

The species prefers cool, humid areas with well-drained soils and full sun access. It is tolerant of many soil conditions, but is most dominant and competitive in acidic, damp, and well-drained soil types. Eastern white pines are also commonly found in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of Eastern North America. 

This pine makes brown cones produced when the tree is around 5-10 years old. They are fully mature by the summer of the second season, releasing seeds in July and August and persisting through September. This pine is monoecious, meaning it has separate male and female cones on the same tree that produce both pollen and ovules. Male cones are small, yellow, and release pollen. This pollen is the type of allergen you may notice when you develop spring allergies with cold-like symptoms. You may also see the pollen’s green or yellow coloring on your car around the springtime. The seed cones of this species are wind pollinated, traveling around 200-700 ft. Female cones are larger and mature in clusters. The eastern white pine is known for its pine cones that are thinner and longer than those of other pines in their regions. Female cones take 2-3 years to mature after they are pollinated. They fall from the tree after shedding their wind-dispersed, winged seeds. 

Needle-like leaves are grouped in bundles of five, which is a unique trait of the eastern white pine. These needles are three-sided, fine toothed, and parallel. They appear almost feathery and they are very soft. Needles can last from 1 to 4 years, depending on ecological conditions.  The tree remains evergreen year round, meaning it keeps its needles in every season. Younger eastern white pine trees have smooth bark that resembles a green/grey color, but once the tree matures; the bark takes on a more brown tone with scales and irregular shaping. Branches on the pine droop and curve in an upward direction. Many of the trees in this species actually appear asymmetrical due to wind exposure over the years.

The eastern white pine is valued for timber and resin. We commonly see its softwood used for doors, moldings, trim, siding, and furniture. One of the most familiar uses you may know these pines for is Christmas trees. But this isn’t all it’s used for; features of the pine like its bark, leaves, and sap are used for things like tea, protein snacks, and even flour. The pine nuts we commonly eat are actually edible seeds from the pine family. In Japan, the pine branches are actually cooked to infuse fish with the signature pine needle aroma.

More recently, the increased amount of harmful insects, disease, and negative human activity documented is not benefitting the species. Environmental factors like air pollution, changing climate, and increased fungal pathogens targeting the species have caused the Eastern white pine to decline over the past ten years. Different practices have been developed to combat these factors and save the species because of how valuable they are, both economically and environmentally. 

The eastern white pine is just one of many amazing trees Rowan University has to offer. Other gymnosperms, including a norway spruce of the Coniferophyta phylum, can also be found on Rowan’s campus. I encourage you to look into other trees around campus and what importance they have on our lives by learning more about them, thank you!

These resources are a product of Dr. Sara Wright’s Plant Diversity cpurse in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department. My name is Erin O’Donnell, and I will earn my Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science and my Bachelor of Arts degree in Pyschology in 2022. You can read more about me and the eastern white pine below.