White Pine, Pinus strobus

The white pine, this majestic tree in eastern Canada, grows in mixed forests composed of hardwoods and other softwoods. It generally reaches a size of 25 to 38 meters and a diameter of 1 to 2 meters. This pine species seeks sandy, moist soils. It is susceptible to a disease called blister rust, transmitted by the microscopic fungus Cronartium ribicola. This disease, with a complicated evolutionary cycle which also involves Ribes type plants, can decimate it. Its fine needles are 6 to 12 centimeters long and grow in groups of five, making it easy to identify. White pine has slender, scaled cones that measure 8 to 20 centimeters in length and hang from the branch. You have to wait 20 or 30 years for the tree to have a good production of seeds, and only every three to five years. Its grayish-brown bark has large scaly ridges two to five centimeters thick.

If exposed to high winds, white pine can have an irregular shape. Its branches can be short and small on the windward side.

The wood is white or a little brown, light and soft, homogeneous, easy to work, very durable, with indistinct sapwood. The wood from adult trees is of quality; therefore it is used in carpentry, for example for the manufacture of doors or window frames.