Habitat:
Eastern White pines have a native range in the eastern portion of North America, ranging from Georgia to Quebec. Given their large distribution, this species is tolerant of a variety of soils, though they are most competitive in sandy, washed-out soils, as they grow in the cool, humid environment. White pines are a long-lived species than can grow for over 200 years and reach heights of 150 feet. Within their ecosystem, white pines provide and arboreal habitat for birds and small mammals such as squirrels and a shaded wooded habitat for larger fauna like deer who like to feed on the seeds.
Origin, history, and uses:
The Eastern White Pine has spread to live in a range across the eastern portion of North America, from as far south as Georgia to its northern edge in Quebec and from the Atlantic Ocean to as far west as Manitoba and Minnesota.
Some of the oldest uses of this species by humans is by the Haudenosaunee who would mix the resin with beeswax to seal their canoes. Other indigenous americans would eat the inner bark when food was scarce during harsh winters and would drink the boild bark to treat a cough. Eruopean conquest brought widespread explotation of Eastern White Pines for constructing ships for the British Royal Navy. Additionaly, its timber has long been used for toys, boxes, furniture and other similar carpentry purposes. Because of their conical shape, they’re commonly grown as Christmas trees and for ornamentallandscaping.
Phenology:
White pines reproduce in late spring, generally between May and June. As conifers, they do not lose foliage in winter.
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