While we don’t have Eastern White Pines in South Florida, I still thought it was an interesting story and I know many of you grew up in the Northeast so you may remember them!
From the National Arbor Day Foundation’s Nov-Dec Newsletter:
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
 |
The eastern white pine has played a very important role throughout the history of America. In colonial days, the best of the trees were set apart by the king for masts on British ships. As the nation grew, the lumber of white pines built our homes and businesses. Today it is still a valuable commercial tree but also favored in parks and spacious yards—both for its beauty and its fast growth.
Once filling the forests of the eastern United States, few white pines stand in their natural, massive splendor. But noteworthy specimens can still be found. In Merrill, Maine, the largest white pine in the country stands 132 feet tall. Cathedral Pines, just south of Cornwall, Connecticut, is one of the largest stands of white pines—spared from the lumber industry in 1883 by an early tree lover. And the oldest known eastern white pine, estimated to be 450 years old, can be found in Nelson Swamp Unique Area of Madison County, New York.
To find more information on the eastern white pine, visit our online Tree Guide.
