What is a western white pine tree?
Western white pine is an evergreen coniferous species of tree that grows to mature heights of 100 feet (30 m) tall and with a straight trunk up to 3 feet (100 cm) in diameter at breast height, with a narrowly conic crown that becomes broad and flattened with age.
What is the difference between a pine tree and a conifer tree?
Spruces grow singularly from the branch whereas pine needles are in clusters. Conifer tree identification is also possible by looking at the cones and branches to spot some subtle differences. Conifer cones are made up of scales that grow out of a center stalk. All conifers have 2 types of cones – pollen cones and seed cones.
Do white pine trees have male and female cones?
Like most conifers, white pine trees are monoecious, meaning the same tree bears both male and female cones. The male cones are commonly called pollen cones, while female cones are called seed cones.
What are the different types of dwarf white pine trees?
1 'Nana' and 'Compacta ' are two mounded dwarf varieties. 2 'Blue Shag ' is a compact form with blue-green needles. 3 'Contorta' is a variety with twisted, curled branches. 4 'Fatigiata' has a tall, columnar form with blue-green needles. 5 'Pendula' is a weeping form of eastern white pine. 6 'Aurea' is a variety with yellow needles.
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What type of tree is a white pine?
coniferWhile the West Coast has taller trees, the eastern white pine is the biggest conifer native to eastern North America....Fun Fact.Common NameEastern white pineBotanical NamePinus strobusFamilyPinaceaePlant TypeTreeMature Size50-80 ft. tall, 20-40 ft. wide5 more rows•Apr 11, 2022
Are pines and conifers the same?
Conifers are, most simply, plants that have cones. So yes, pine trees are conifers; we all know about pine cones!
What is the difference between conifers and pine trees?
Like deciduous trees, conifers can be identified by their "leaves." The "leaves" of conifers are of course their needles. On true pine trees, the needles are arranged and attached to the branches in clusters of two (red pine group), three (yellow pine group), or five (white pine group) needles per cluster.
Why is it called a white pine?
Names: Western White Pine is a 5-needled, soft pine or white pine. White Pines are so named because of the color of their wood. Monticola means “mountain dweller.”
Is a Christmas tree a conifer?
There are several types of conifer that can be brought indoors for decorating at Christmas. Most are available as cut trees, but container grown and containerised trees (dug up with roots and plunged into pots) are also available.
What makes a tree a conifer?
The botanical description of a conifer is a “tree that reproduces via cones.” Most conifers—pine, spruce, fir, and yews—are evergreen. Although they shed their foliage, this happens at different times and the trees appear to be always green, even in winter.
What does white pine look like?
White pine is easy to identify. Its leaves or needles occur in bundles or fascicles of five, 3-5 inches long, bluish green, with fine white lines or stomata. The cones are 3-6 inches long, gradually tapering, with cone scales without prickles and light tan to whitish in color on outer edge of the scales.
Is cedar a conifer?
cedar, any of four species of ornamental and timber evergreen conifers of the genus Cedrus (family Pinaceae), three native to mountainous areas of the Mediterranean region and one to the western Himalayas.
Is Maple a conifer?
There are a few species of deciduous trees that grow and drop needles instead of leaves, but this will be discussed in the Deciduous Conifer section below. Common deciduous trees are oak, maple, and birch to name a few.
How tall can white pines grow?
50 – 80 ft.Eastern white pine / Height
Is white pine a hardwood?
Is Eastern White Pine a Hardwood or a Softwood? Under a classic definition, eastern white pine is a softwood, which means it comes from a gymnosperm tree. Other softwoods include fir and cedar. This is as opposed to hardwoods which come from dicot trees, such as a broadleaf variety.
What is white pine used for?
The tree has a soft wood and is often used for pulp and to make furniture, crates, paneling, match sticks, and boats. White pine is also cultivated for Christmas trees.
What are white pine cones?
Like most conifers, white pine trees are monoecious, meaning the same tree bears both male and female cones. The male cones are commonly called pollen cones, while female cones are called seed cones. Pollen cones are yellowish and ovoid and grow in spike-like clusters. Each cone is approximately half an inch long, with tightly overlapping scales. Seed cones range in color from pink to green when immature. They grow to roughly 4 to 8 inches in length and turn brown as they mature.
Where are white pines found?
Eastern white pines ( Pinus strobus) can grow to more than 100 feet in height and range from southern Canada, west to Minnesota and Iowa, east to the Atlantic Coast, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to northern parts of Georgia and Alabama. The tallest conifer in the northeast, the white pine was known as the “mast tree” during Colonial times, when their tall, straight trunks were used as masts for sailing ships. The British crown’s claim to all white pines over 12 inches in diameter was one of the many factors contributing to colonists’ unrest and eventual upheaval. Beyond its usefulness in building ships, the eastern white pine is integral to a plethora of woodland wildlife.
How often do pollen cones grow?
Male pollen cones typically occur every other year. Fertilization is generally a two-year process. In spring of the first year, male cones produce pollen. Each grain of pollen has small wing-like structures that help the pollen become airborne and travel up to 700 feet from the tree – and even further in open areas.
How long does it take for a pine tree to grow?
Although these trees grow relatively quickly – adding roughly 3 feet in height each year between the ages of 15 and 45 years – a white pine tree does not bear seed cones until it is at least 5 years old and about 20 feet tall, and it takes up to 30 years for a tree ...
What tree do black bears use?
Mother black bears use large white pines as “babysitter” trees, sending cubs up the trunk – whose rough bark makes for easy climbing – to the high branches, above danger. Bald eagles and osprey often choose the sturdy branches of white pines – or trees whose tops have blown off – to hold their large nests.
What are the birds that live in white pine trees?
Eastern white pines, particularly mature trees, are important for a wide variety of wildlife. Over half the woodland bird species in the Northeast live in habitats that comprise white pines, including crossbills, woodpeckers, owls, a variety of cavity nesting birds, and hawks. Older white pines often have areas where bark partially peels away from the tree, providing a safe place for bats to roost and raise their young.
Do white pine trees germinate?
If they find their way to the forest floor, these seeds will have the chance to germinate. Some of the wildlife that relies on white pine trees may also assist in reproduction. Animals from mice and voles to squirrels collect unopened cones and often hide them away for future meals.
How tall is a Himalayan white pine tree?
Description. Himalayan white pine is an evergreen, coniferous species of tree that grows to mature heights of 165 feet (50 m); with a straight trunk up to 40 inches (1 m) in diameter, measured at breast height; and short, downcurved branches, creating a dome-like crown. Branches grow longer in solitary trees.
What is the name of the pine tree in the Himalayas?
Pinus wallichiana, as described in 1938 by Albert Bruce Jackson (1876–1947), in Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew; is commonly known as Himalayan white pine or Bhutan pine; as well as Kail in the Kashmiri Hindi language; as Tongshi in Buhtanese; and 乔松 (qiao song) in Chinese.
Where is Pinus wallichiana native to?
This species is native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern Pakistan and India to Yunnan province in southwestern China . It grows in mountain valleys at elevations of 6,000 and 14,000 feet (1,800 – 4,300 m) above sea level;
What color are cones?
Cones are bluish-green in color when young, maturing after 2 years to light brown with pale brown apophyses. Cone scales are wedge-shaped and wide near the apices. Apophyses are grooved, ending in a blunt umbo; basal scales usually not, or only slightly, reflexed, and very resinous.
How long are pollen cones?
Pollen cones are borne on lower branches, often developing in dense clusters on younger twigs. They measure 0.4 to 0.8 inch (10 - 20 mm) long, and are yellowish brown in color.
What is the color of a foliar bud?
Foliar buds are gray in color, with an orange tinge, ovoid-conical shape, and pointed tips. They are slightly resinous. Leaves (needles) are borne in fascicles of 5, with deciduous basal sheaths. Individual needles measure 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm) long, often growing curved at the base.
Is a conifer tree ornamental?
It is also a popular ornamental tree for planting in parks and large gardens, grown for its attractive foliage and large, decorative cones. It is also valued for its relatively high resistance to air pollution, tolerating this better than some other conifers. This conifer was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
How tall is a white pine tree?
Description. Western white pine is an evergreen coniferous species of tree that grows to mature heights of 100 feet (30 m) tall and with a straight trunk up to 3 feet (100 cm) in diameter at breast height, with a narrowly conic crown that becomes broad and flattened with age. Bark is gray, thin, and smooth, becoming furrowed into distinctive ...
What is a pinus?
Pinus monticola. / western white pine. subgenus Strobus (Lemmon), section Quinquefoliae (Duhamel), subsection Strobus (Loudon). Pinus monticola, as partially described by David Douglas (1798–1834) and completed by David Don (1799–1841) in Description of the genus Pinus, 2nd edition by A.B. Lambert in 1828 is commonly known as western white pine;
How high is Pinus monticola?
Pinus monticola —a subalpine tree at circa 10,000 feet elevation near the species' southern range limit in California.
Where is Pinus monticola native to?
natural range of Pinus monticola. Distribution. This species is native to Western USA: Washington, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, California; and Canada: Alberta, British Columbia at elevations of 3,200 feet (1,000 m) above sea level in the north, and at 6,000 to 10,000 feet (1,900 - 3,000 m) in the south. Its natural habitat is in lowland fog ...
How long does it take for pollen cones to mature?
Pollen cones are ellipsoid in shape, 0.4 to 0.6 inch (10 - 15 mm) long and yellow in color. Seed cones mature in 2 years, shedding seeds and falling soon thereafter. They grow clustered and pendent on the tree.
How to tell if a conifer is a fir or a pine?
One of the best ways to tell pine, spruce, and fir trees apart is by their needle leaves. You may also notice differences in these evergreen trees by looking at their cones, branches and bark. With a few facts about conifers, you will be able to easily identify the different species of these hardy trees.
What color are conifer cones?
Mature cones have soft brown scales. However, before they reach this stage, they may be purple, white, green, or very dark blue.
How big do pine cones get?
Even some pine cones that are long and conical differ from fir trees in the way they grow on the tree. Some fir cones can grow up to 10” (25 cm) and they resemble brown-colored candles sitting erect on branches. Fir trees also produce some of the most colorful types of conifer cones.
How to tell if a pine tree is a spruce or fir?
The easiest way to tell a pine tree apart from a spruce or fir tree is by looking at the needles. As a quick guide to identifying a species of conifer, take the twig and look closely at how the needles are attached. Needles on pine trees are attached in groups of 2, 3, 4, 5, or more.
What is the longest needle on a conifer tree?
This needle bundle is attached at a single point on the tree twigs. Another feature of pine needles is that they tend to be longer than spruce or fir needle leaves. Some species of pine trees have needles that are up to 16” (40 cm) long. This makes them the longest leaves on any type of conifer.
What is the difference between a spruce tree and a fir tree?
Spruce needles have four sides and they roll easily between your fingers. Fir needles are flat and if they don’t roll easily, chances are it is a fir tree, not a pine or spruce.
What tree hangs off branches?
Spruce and pine cones all hang off branches. Looking and fir cones and pine cones side by side, you can spot the fir cones because they are generally cylindrical. Pine cones are usually oval or triangular-shaped. Even some pine cones that are long and conical differ from fir trees in the way they grow on the tree.
How big can a white pine tree grow?
This behemoth can grow to be as tall as 80 feet and as wide as 40 feet. Eastern white pine is the only pine tree in the East that bears five needles to a bundle.
What kind of soil does Eastern White Pine like?
Eastern white pine likes an acidic soil that is well-drained. A thick bed of pine needle mulch over the root zone will both cool the soil and lower the pH.
What pine tree has five needles?
Eastern white pine is the only pine tree in the East that bears five needles to a bundle. These bundles form clusters that look like little brushes. Like other pines, this is a gymnosperm —a tree that bears seeds that are exposed in a cone structure rather than enclosed in a nut The tree's cones are cylindrical and are the largest pine cones found ...
What are pine cones used for?
The pine cones also come in handy for creating decorations once you learn how to wire the cones.
What are the different types of dwarf plants?
The species form is the type that is most often planted, but there are several good cultivars, especially the dwarf varieties: 1 'Nana' and 'Compacta ' are two mounded dwarf varieties. 2 'Blue Shag ' is a compact form with blue-green needles. 3 'Contorta' is a variety with twisted, curled branches. 4 'Fatigiata' has a tall, columnar form with blue-green needles. 5 'Pendula' is a weeping form of eastern white pine. 6 'Aurea' is a variety with yellow needles.
Is white pine a pest?
Common Pests/Diseases. Unfortunately, eastern white pine is susceptible to many pests and diseases. A variety of blight and rust diseases are possible, one of which—white pine blister rust—often kills the trees. Make sure this disease is not common in your area before planting an eastern white pine.
Can white pine trees survive in clay soil?
In cool climates, it does well in full sun, but it appreciates some shade in warmer environments. Eastern white pine will not survive in compacted clay soils.
When was Pinaceae first mentioned?
This cultivar is one of the oldest and best-known selections in the nursery trade. Its first mention in botanical literature was in J. Nelson's 1866 work, Pinaceae: Being a Handbook of the Firs and Pines.
What is a pinus strobus?
Pinus strobus. 'Pendula' / weeping eastern white pine. Pinus strobus 'Pendula' is a loosely branched, strictly weeping form of eastern white pine that requires staking at first to obtain the desired height.
What color are a spruce needle?
Needles are generally abundant, long, and blue-gray to blue-green in color. Branches often grow outward in a sweeping form.
Where is Pinus strobus pedula?
Pinus strobus 'Pendula' — a massive, older specimen seen growing in the Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Pinus strobus 'Pendula' — a 2002 accession in the Benenson Ornamental Conifer Collection at the New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, NY (USDA Hardiness Zone 7a); photo from 2020.
