56. Western White Pine

Tree Tour

Previous

Next

East of the flagpole are two Western White Pines, two additional Eastern white pines, and an Austrian black pine. How do you tell who's who? The Austrian stands out with squat cones and dark blackish-green foliage. Western white pine, compared to its eastern cousin, is narrower, darker, has chunkier bark, larger cones, and stiffer needles, more blue-green in color. Also, the twigs are usually stouter and always hairier as you peer between the needle clusters to look. As lumber providers, both species are equally prized; as ornamentals the eastern has an edge, since it is less dense, therefore less prone to being blown over in storms. Most large white pines seen on campus are eastern, although the western is native here.

Pictured below: Map of geographical range of Western White Pine.

Tree Tour Previous Next