Trees of New York State 11 



PINACEAE 



Pinus Strobus L. 



White Pine, Weymouth Pine 



Habit — The tallest conifer of New York State, rarely at maturity attaining 

 a height of 150 feet, usually 80 to 110 feet in height, with a trunk diam- 

 eter of 3-4 feet. Trees growing in dense stands have small crowns ^vith 

 boles ^\■ith little taper and free from branches for a long distance above 

 the ground. In the open the crown is large and broadly conical; the bole 

 is often forked, tapers abruptly, and bears whorls of branches (usually in 

 fives) which persist nearly to the ground. 



Leaves — Borne in fascicles of 5, needle-shaped, 3-sided, soft and flexible, blu- 

 ish-green, 3-5 inches long. New leaves at first surrounded by a deciduous 

 sheath, attaining full size during August, and persisting through the 

 second, rarely to the third season. 



Flowers — Appearing in late May or early June, monoecious, borne in cones. 

 Staminate cones clustered at the base of the growth of the season, about % 

 of an inch long, oval and yellow at maturity. Ovulate cones solitary oi 

 in small groups near the top of the growth of the season, oblong-cylindric, 

 about Y-2 of an inch in length, stalked, upright, pinkish purple at pollina- 

 tion. 



Fruit — A cylindrical green cone, 5 to 10 inches long, long-stalked and pen- 

 dant, attaining full size during July of the second year, turning brown 

 and opening in the autumn. Opened cones fall during the winter and 

 following spring. Cone-scales thin, but slightly thickened at the apex, 

 unarmed. Seeds reddish-browm, cringed, about i/4 of an inch long. 



Winter characters — ■ Branchlets slender, at first green and coated with rusty 

 tomentum, later smooth and light orange-brown and roughened by the 

 fascicle-scars. Buds %-^/^ of an inch in length, ovate-oblong, acuminate, 

 with many long-pointed and overlapping scales. Mature bark dark gray, 

 thick, divided by shallow fissures into broad, continuous ridges. 



Habitat — Prefers rich, moist, well-drained soils, but thrives on sandy and 

 gravelly sites. Found in a wide rang'e of habitats. Forms nearly pure 

 stands in many localities; in others in small groves intermixed with 

 deciduous species. 



Range — Eastern Canada, Maine to Minnesota, south along the Alleghany 

 Mountains to northern Georgia. Zones A, B, C, and D. 



Uses ■ — The most important timber tree of the northeastern states. Wood 

 light, soft, weak, resinous, straight-grained, easily worked, light brown, 

 occasionally with a tinge of red, with thin, whitish sapwood. Used for a 

 great variety of purposes where a soft, easily-worked wood is desired. 

 White pine is of rapid growth, responds readily to propagation, and is 

 widely used in reforestation. Planted both here and abroad (Weymouth 

 Pine) for shade and ornament. 



