Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus (Pinaceae) is a large five-needled pine native to eastern North America from Newfoundland to Manitoba south to Georgia and Iowa. It grows 80 to 120 feet tall with a distinctive layered, horizontal branching pattern that gives mature trees a picturesque silhouette. The soft, flexible, blue-green needles and smooth gray bark on young trees are characteristic.

Eastern white pine grows in full sun on moist, well-drained, acidic soil. It is intolerant of air pollution, road salt, and alkaline conditions. White pine blister rust and white pine weevil are the most significant threats. Many cultivars are available, from dwarf forms to full-sized shade trees. The species was historically the most important timber tree in eastern North America. Hardy in Zones 3a to 8b.

Eastern white pine shares the white pine blister rust vulnerability of western white pine. The same rule applies: do not plant near Ribes species (currants and gooseberries). In the Puget Sound lowlands, the tree grows fast (40 feet by age 20) and develops a graceful, irregular form with age. It prefers well-drained, acidic soil and will not tolerate waterlogged or hardpan-restricted soils. Prune only October through January to prevent sequoia pitch moth from finding fresh wounds. Twenty-six diseases and 26 pests are documented, making it the most heavily burdened pine in our system alongside ponderosa. For lowland sites with decent drainage and no nearby ribes, eastern white pine can work, but it requires monitoring. For a lower-maintenance conifer, consider western redcedar or grand fir.

— Chris Welch, ISA Certified Arborist