# Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)

> A large, fast conifer with soft blue-green needles in bundles of five, pyramidal when young and broad and flat-topped with age, with slender resin-tipped cones. It is the tallest tree in the Northeast and a graceful screen or specimen for parks and big yards, but it is too large for small lots and is damaged by road salt, air pollution and wet clay.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/pinus-strobus · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: White pine, Northern white pine
- Family: Pinaceae
- Type: Conifer
- Mature height: 24 m; spread 10 m
- Growth: Fast growing; lives about 250 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 7
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Acidic, moist, well-drained sandy loam; intolerant of heavy clay, wet or alkaline soils
- Native range: Newfoundland west through Quebec, Ontario and the Great Lakes to Manitoba, and in the United States from Minnesota and New England south along the Appalachians to Georgia.

**Benefits:** Shade, Wildlife, Birds, Fast canopy, Windbreak, Long lived

**Good for:** Yard shade, parks, Screening, Windbreak, Timber, Reforestation

**Watch out for:** Weak wood, Pest prone, Heavy litter

## Care

Transplants easily and establishes quickly in acidic, well-drained soil away from salted roads; water deeply during dry spells for the first few years. Prune by pinching new 'candles' in late spring if shaping. White pine blister rust (fatal; alternate host is currants), white pine weevil, bark beetles and sawflies are the main threats; wind and ice can break limbs.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Canada (Native from Newfoundland and the Maritimes through Quebec and Ontario to southeastern Manitoba.); United States (Native from Minnesota and Iowa east to Maine and south along the Appalachians to Georgia (more than 15 states).)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/pinus-strobus/
- https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/eastern-white-pine/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/PIST
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_strobus