Eastern White Pine: Identification, Growing, and Care

The Eastern white pine(Pinus strobus) is the biggest conifer native to eastern North America. It grows in a wide climate range and is commonly found as far north as Newfoundland and as far south as northern Georgia. The tree can be identified by its long, soft, blue-green needles. Eastern white pine is the only white pine in the Eastern U.S. that bears five needles to a bundle. These bundles form clusters that look like little brushes.

This fast-growing evergreen tree reaches 80 feet in height and 40 feet in width when mature, adding 2 to 3 feet every year. Eastern white pine has a lifespan of 200 years.

The tree has a graceful, rounded pyramidal shape. It makes an excellent windbreak and shade tree and can be clipped into hedges. The branches are also prized for crafts and decorations; the boughs are commonly employed inoutdoor Christmas decorations using greenery.

Eastern White Pine Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing an eastern white pine:

• In northern climates, select a planting location in full sun. In the south, partial sun is preferable.
• The soil should be acidic, medium moist, and well-drained.
• Water young trees until they are established.
• Fertilize trees once per year in the spring with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants.

Planting

Plant eastern white pine in the early spring or early fall. Improve compacted clay soils with compost before planting.

Give eastern white pine lots of space. This tree is not suitable for a small yard; the planting distance to the house or other structures should be at least the height of the mature tree (50 to 80 feet). Plant specimen trees at least 20 to 30 feet away from any other trees or shrubs.

Light

This tree does well with at least four hours of direct sunlight each day. But the hotter the climate, the more it appreciates a bit of afternoon shade.

Soil

Eastern white pine likes acidic soil (pH of 5.5) that is well-drained. A thick bed of pine needle mulch over the root zone will cool the soil.

Water

Keep the tree well-watered when young, but, once established, it does fairly well in dry soil, provided the soil is kept cool with a thick layer of mulch. Eastern white pine remains a happy specimen if given about 1 inch of water weekly.

Temperature and Humidity

Eastern white pine doesn't like very hot climates. This is a tree that prefers cool, humid weather. At the warmer end of its hardiness range, it sometimes struggles.

Fertilizer

Eastern white pine does not require frequent fertilization but benefits from being fed in spring with a high-acid fertilizer designed for evergreens. For the amount, follow the fertilizer label instructions.

Types of Eastern White Pine

The species form is the type that is most often planted, but there are several good cultivars, especially the dwarf varieties:

• 'Nana' and 'Compacta' are two mounded dwarf varieties.
• 'Blue Shag' is a compact form with blue-green needles.
• 'Contorta' is a variety with twisted, curled branches.
• 'Fatigiata' has a tall, columnar form with blue-green needles.
• 'Pendula' is a weeping form of eastern white pine.
• 'Aurea' is a variety with yellow needles.

Pruning

Prune away broken, dead, or diseased branches whenever you see them. When trimming for shape or size, perform the pruning in late fall, winter, or early spring when the tree is dormant.

Propagating Eastern White Pine

This tree is fairly easy to propagate from seeds.

1. Take large, mature cones that are allowed to fully dry out. Once a cone is dry and brittle, shake out the seeds.
2. Plant them about 1/4 inch deep in moist soil in a shady spot. Make sure to mark the location well so you won't accidentally weed them out or mow them down.
3. Keep the soil moist, watering in the absence of rain. Germination and initial growth will take some time, but small trees are then easily transplanted to other locations.
4. Once the trees reach small sapling size, growth becomes quite swift.

Common Pests & Plant 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.

Especially when it's still under 20 feet tall, white pine weevils attack the tree. Symptoms of the pest feeding on the tree include a curled, dead, or dying terminal leader, and shiny resin oozing from the small holes that the weevils chew into the bark in the spring. The leader should be removed promptly to interrupt the pest's life cycle. The application of pesticides is difficult with large trees.

Common Problems With Eastern White Pine

Improper Spacing

A common problem with eastern white pine is that homeowners fail, at planting time, to take into account mature size. As a result, the tree quickly outgrows the space allotted to it and impinges on other plants, fences, decks, your house, etc. If you like the foliage of eastern white pine but are not sure that you have enough room for it in your yard, an alternative is to prune it regularly to keep this massive specimen as more of a shrub rather than as a tree.

Soil Issues

Eastern white pine does not survive in soil that is compacted or has a pH above 6.5. In alkaline soil, most micronutrients become less available. Compacted soil leads to poor drainage, causing root rot.

Salt Runoff

The tree is highly susceptible to road salt damage, which causes browning needles, especially on the lower branches on the side where the salt runoff occurred.

Air Pollution

Eastern white pine is not tolerant of air pollution, which makes it unsuitable for urban environments. When exposed to low levels of sulfur dioxide, ozone, or fluorides, the needles discolor, the needle tips turn brown, and older needles drop prematurely.

From: thespruce