Click on the images help you identify an eastern white pine.
Form
Height 80 to 100 feet, up to 42 inches in diameter. Trunk is straight and regular. Shape is pyramidal with soft gray-green foliage. Lower branches often fall away growing in forested areas. On young trees, branches extend horizontally in whorls (circle arrangements), marking successive years of upward growth.
Bark
Bark is thin, smooth, and greenish gray on young trees. Bark on older trees is thick, deeply furrowed, and grayish brown.
Leaf
Leaves are soft, flexible needles, about 2-1/2 to 5 inches long, and grouped in bundles of five. Needles are bluish green on upper surface, whitish beneath.
Fruit (seed)
Cones are 4 to 8 inches long, cylindrical with thin and usually very gummy scales, each containing two small, winged seeds. Cones mature at end of second season.
Range
Important throughout the northern, central, and eastern parts of the state. Also found scattered along the Mississippi River as far south as Houston County. Thrives on fertile, well-drained soil. Prefers sun but can tolerate shade. White pine blister rust, white pine weevil, and deer browsing are problems that take a heavy toll on the tree's survival.
Wood uses
Light, soft, not strong, light brown in color, often tinged with red. Wood is easily worked and often manufactured into lumber, shingles, and laths. Also used for construction purposes such as cabinet making, finished interiors, and wooden ware.