Location: South West of Sieg Hall flanking steps.

Summary: Here we find ourselves at another of the four species of Pine native to Washington State. Recall that Pine trees can be distinguished from other conifers by the fact that they hold their needles in bundles called fascicles. In the case of the Western White Pine, those needles are in fascicles of five, and unlike the Ponderosa and Shore Pine, those needles are a soft and silky texture. This tells us something about the ecology of these trees. The Ponderosa and Shore Pines are drought-tolerant, fire-adapted, warm-climate species, thriving in the more arid or rocky environs of our state. The Western White Pine, on the other hand, belongs in slightly wetter forests, with a less fire, drought, and intense sunlight. This means that the needles of this specimen do not need to have as thick of a waxy cuticle (leaf covering) as its relatives. Even so, as a pine the species still tolerates drier and warmer conditions than many other forest species of the state, and has the potential to be of great benefit to our region in an era of climate change. It will, however, have to overcome challenges presented to it by our species, in particular an introduced fungal pathogen known as White Pine Blister Rust. In the early 1900s this disease was brought to the continent from Europe by a Canadian timber company which decided to source saplings to replant clearcut forests from France. The blight arrived with the saplings and has since been spread to a variety of White Pine species by insects, leading to major declines of pine species across the West and changes to entire ecosystems.

The impact of this fungus cannot be overstated. The nuts of this species are edible, and a source of food for a great many animals. Additionally, the Western White Pine is prized as a lumber tree and served as a key driver of westward expansion in the late 19th century. The trees grow straight with a lovely grain which makes for easy cutting, and the wood is strong, lightweight, and is outstanding for construction and whittling. This resource was first tapped by industry at a time before national forests and conservation regulations in the United States. By the 20th century, the annual quantity of White Pine being logged out of just a single watershed drainage near the Idaho-Washington border was 500 million board feet, enough to build about 50,000 houses. This is impressive but so clearly unsustainable. This excessive overharvest has been cited as a key driver for the creation of the National Forests by Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s, so we can thank the Western White Pine for the many magnificent national forestlands we get to enjoy today. We hope they will be forever protected from the whims of private, profit-driven forestry.

This tree has significant cultural importance as well. Tea from the needles is aromatic and high in vitamins A and C, and tender new shoots can be boiled into a sweet syrup. The resinous gum is traditionally chewed to relieve coughing, and pitch is a traditional coating for fishing and whaling equipment.

Historical Background: Both the Western and Eastern white pines  are equally prized for lumber; as ornamentals the Eastern is preferred, since it is less dense, therefore less prone to being blown over in storms. The Western white pine is Idaho’s state tree. Large populations of this tree have been decimated by blister rust, a disease caused by a fungus imported in 1910 with white pine ornamental shrubs from France. Restoration efforts include developing a resistant strain of our native species. All pine seeds are edible, but the seeds of this species are fairly small and mainly used as a seasoning. A tea made from the fresh needles is aromatic and high in vitamins A and C. A candy can be made by boiling the tender new shoots in syrup. The wood is appreciated for decorative uses such as paneling because it has dark knots. The bark is used to weave baskets by Native tribes who also consume the resin and cambium as a source of food. 

Native

Native Range: Western North America

Identifying Features: The Western white pine is, as explicitly stated in its name, a white pine, meaning that it has needles which grow in fascicles of 5. These blueish green  bunches are slender and flexible and grow from 2-4’ (5-10cm) long. They are much softer to the touch than other native pine species of Washington. The tree itself generally grows to a height of 130” (40m), although it has been known to attain heights up to 230” (70m). It has bark which is smooth when young and becomes a scaly dark grey to almost black color with age. White pines have very distinct cones, cylindrical and oblong in shape (not egglike like those of the Ponderosa or Shore pine). They are unarmed and a woody reddish brown when mature.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: Tall and intensely symmetrical, usually about 130” (40m), long sweeping boughs with needles on the tips of branches.

2. Leaves: Evergreen, 2-4’ in length and a blueish-green color, occurring in fascicles of 5. Often they are described as soft, and are slender and flexible.

3. Bark: Bark is a smooth light color when young, sometimes with resin blisters, but matures to a dark grey scaly surface as the tree matures. Strips of bark removed from the tree are cinnamon colored underneath.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Pollen cones are yellow and up to about a cm long. Seed cones are a light green to purple when young, growing to a length of about 2-6’ and maturing into a woody yellowish brown. Cones are unarmed and often have white patches of pitch.