White Pine: A Common Tree's Uncommon History

White pine monoculture at Myles Standish State Forest. Photo by Justin Cifello.

By Justin Cifello
Justin is a farmer and naturalist at Bay End Farm in Bourne and a volunteer for Wildlands Trust. Learn more about Justin (and all our Volunteer Hike Leaders) here.

Familiarity can breed contempt, or at least boredom. Being one of our most ubiquitous trees, the white pine could be overlooked as an object of study. With their uniform growth habit, lack of flowers, and sheer numbers, they may fade into the background in favor of showier plants. However, nothing in nature or history exists in isolation. Even the most seemingly mundane organism has its own story to tell. 

Identification and Physiology 

White pines are easily identified by their straight trunks and long needles. Their scientific name, Pinus strobus, is a reference to their spirally arranged pinecones, but it offers a useful mnemonic based on another trait: their radially symmetrical branches resemble strobe-light beams, unlike the chaotic branching pattern of pitch pines. Other local conifers, such as yews, spruces, and hemlocks, have much shorter needles, growing directly off of the branches. Cedars, including junipers, have more complex, forking needles, comprised of tiny scales. Only the pines have long needles, which tend to grow at branch tips in bundles called fascicles. Luckily, most of our pine species have a different number of needles per cluster: Jack pines and red pines have two needles in each bundle, pitch pines have three, and white pines have five. 

While many of the white pines we see are little willowy saplings, this is the tallest tree species in the Northeast. On the East Coast, it is only rivaled by tulip trees. The largest known in Massachusetts, at about 176 feet tall, is the Jake Swamp Tree, named for the Mohawk chief and founder of the Tree of Peace Society. Its exact location is kept secret to protect it from vandals, but other giants can be seen in the northwest corner of the state, particularly at the Peace Grove in Mohawk Trail State Forest. [1] 

Symbolism and History 

Haundenosaunee flag. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

An Onandaga story tells of a time of war between five neighboring peoples. A figure known as the Peacemaker came and instructed a man named Hiawatha in diplomacy. In front of the warring leaders, Hiawatha broke a single arrow. He then bundled five arrows together, which no one could bend. Convinced by the demonstrated strength of unity, the leaders formed the powerful alliance known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (commonly known as the Iroquois, now an antiquated term). They buried their weapons under a white pine, which, with its five-needled fascicles, became a symbol of peace for the five founding nations. [2] 

Flag of New England. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The flag of New England highlights the pine tree’s significance to colonial identity, as well. By the time of colonization, Western Europe had largely depleted its forests, but their enormous ships required enormous trees. Ramrod-straight pines, light and strong, were perfect for ships’ masts. Trees with a 24” diameter were reserved for the royal navy, protected by a policy known as the King’s Broad Arrow. Qualified trees would have an arrow carved into them with an ax. Of course, colonists wanted the timber, too, and the crown was far away. At the historic Harlow House in Plymouth, one can see very wide floorboards—on the second floor only, to keep them from the prying eyes of royal tax assessors. The prohibition was eventually expanded to trees with only a 12” diameter, leading to a violent skirmish in 1772 dubbed the Pine Tree Riot. This early act of defiance is said to have inspired the Boston Tea Party. [3] 

Fire and Shade 

White pines were abundant and massive trees in the mature forests of pre-colonial Massachusetts, but they were probably not nearly as numerous as they are now. Their population boom owes largely to the decline of their primary limiting factor—fire. As saplings, white pines' thin bark exposes them to fire damage, especially when compared to pitch pines. Unlike beeches, hollies, and other trees with thin bark, white pines do not readily grow new branches or trunks from their stumps, leaving them less likely to recover when burned. Thus, regular, natural fires once gave other tree species a chance to outcompete white pines for sunlight and space on the forest floor. 

Since colonial times, however, fire has been stamped out from much of the regional landscape, allowing white pines to proliferate unchecked. In the 1800s, economic changes drove the decline of local agriculture, leaving behind large, sunny tracts of pastures and bogs—perfect settings for white pine domination. Long protected from fire, these woods have matured into single-aged pine monocultures rather than mosaics of unique species. Recognizing the importance of forest diversity to wildlife habitat, water quality, climate resilience, and more, forest managers are now intentionally setting fires—called prescribed burns—to restore the conditions that once brought balance to our woodlands. [4] 

Wolf Trees and Tuning Forks 

“Tuning fork” white pines. Left: Jacobs Pond Preserve, Norwell. Right: Old Field Pond Preserve/Bay End Farm, Bourne. Photos by Justin Cifello.

Most pine stands have now been cut several times since they colonized old fields. Since loggers prefer the straightest trees, abnormal trees were often left unharvested. Without competition, survivors could expand in all directions. Sometimes called wolf trees, these misshapen behemoths are evidence of disturbance in the forest’s history. Some are victims of the pine weevil, which kills the growing tip of young pines. The surviving branches each become their own leader and bend upwards, giving the tree a tuning fork or candelabra appearance. Stunning to behold, these complex shapes also offer different habitat than more orderly pines. [5] 

Though they are now overabundant in much of our region, this species is still a crucial member of our forests. It has served as a symbol for peace and freedom, powered the age of sail, and drove economies. Their towering groves are an inspiring reminder of the tenacity of nature, still achieving remarkable heights despite centuries of deforestation and change. 

Works Cited 

1. Jake Swamp Tree: uvm.edu/femc/attachments/project/1379/The_Exceptional_White_Pines_of_Mohawk_Trail_State_Forest_copy.pdf 

2. Hiawatha and the Tree of Peace: meherrinnation.org/culture/the-great-peacemaker-and-hiawatha/ 

3. King’s Broad Arrow and Pine Tree Riot: newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/new-hampshire-pine-tree-riot-1772/ 

4. Prescribed Burns: nationalforests.org/blog/what-is-prescribed-fire-and-why-is-it-important-for-forest-health 

5. Wolf Trees: americanforests.org/article/wolf-trees-elders-of-the-eastern-forest/