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Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
Eastern White Pine is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Eastern White Pine
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 59 ft tall and 30 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 20 years.
When to plant Eastern White Pine
Plant Eastern White Pine in spring once the soil is workable, or by very early fall at the latest: an evergreen needs its roots down well before the ground freezes. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 8 range, that is April to June, or August on the fall side.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in April.
4 more varieties in the Pine family
Same family, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Good to know about Eastern White Pine
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
White pine blister rust, its usually-fatal signature disease, needs a second host to spread: currants and gooseberries (the genus Ribes). Keep those well away. per Wisconsin
Deer resistance depends on age
Mature trees are largely left alone, earning the resistant rating, but deer browse young trees and low foliage. Protect new plantings in high-deer areas. per NC State and University of Minnesota
White pine weevil
The most destructive pest: in spring its larvae girdle the terminal leader, which wilts into a drooping shepherd's crook. Train one new leader to avoid a forked top. per Penn State
A poor street tree
Highly intolerant of de-icing salt, air pollution and ozone, and root disturbance. Needles brown and thin near roads. Site it away from streets, driveways and hardscape. per NC State and Iowa State
High wildlife value
Offers nothing to insect pollinators but feeds wildlife: seeds for bears, squirrels, rabbits and birds; year-round cover and nesting; a larval host for the imperial moth. per NC State
Soft five-needle bundles
Soft, flexible bluish-green needles grow in bundles of five, 8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 in) long, giving this native evergreen its feathery look. per NC State
What pairs well with Eastern White Pine
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Witch Hazel
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; shorter at 9.8 ft, an understory layer; both are native plants.
Try Eastern White Pine with its top companions in a garden →
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.