White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Form

The straight stem, regular pyramidal form and soft gray-green foliage make it one of the most majestic trees in the state. The crown is composed of numerous whorls of horizontal or ascending branches that are plume-like and graceful in outline. At maturity, it reaches heights of 100 feet and diameters of 2 to 3 feet. White pine may still be found up to 150 feet in height and up to 4 feet in diameter.

Bark

Thin, smooth, resinous and greenish-gray on young trees, but thick and deeply fissured and grayish-brown on older trees.

Leaf

Needles 3 to 5 inches long; bluish-green; flexible; occur in bundles of 5, which distinguishes the trees from other native pines in Wisconsin; needle sheath deciduous.

Fruit

Cones are 4 to 6 inches long, cylindrical, with thin and usually very resinous scales, each containing two small winged seeds. Cones somewhat curved. Cones mature in August or September of the second season.

Range

Occurs naturally throughout nearly the entire state. It grows on sandy soils and rock ridges, but prefers fertile, well-drained soils.

Wood

Light, soft, weak, light brown in color, often tinged with red; easily worked; manufactured into matches, lumber and laths; used for construction purposes (cabinet and window making, interior finish of buildings and wooden wares).

Notes

White Pine Blister Rust and White Pine Weevil continue to be a problem in the state. White pine is very susceptible to air pollution damage. It is intermediate in tolerance to shade and thus generally occurs as a temporary or intermediate (though long-lived) species in forest succession. White pine is a major dominant in Wisconsin's northern dry forests. It is the largest and longest-lived species of the region.