Eastern white pine

The Eastern white pine can also be known as the Northern white pine. It is one of the members of the white pine group. It has an incredible growth rate and can live up to hundreds of years. It is also one of the most valuable trees in the eastern part of North America. The Eastern white pine is known for is long flexible needles and large pine cones.

Anatomy
The Eastern White Pine is a very large tree, in fact it is the tallest tree in eastern North America. Typical white pines usually reach to about 50 meters (160ft). The diameter of the trunk can be anywhere from 1.9-1.6 meters (3-5ft). It's twigs are slender and its branches twirled. Their are five needles per fascile; 6-10cm x0.7-1mm straight. The thick and cylindrical cones are four to seven inches long. They also have scales with a rounded apex. Every 3 to 5 years is the cone production. The seeds reach to about 5mm with a slender wing that is about 20mm.The bark increases its thickness and darkness as it ages. The bark of a young eastern white pine is gray green, its smooth and thin with some light and spotty patches. As it progresses in age it later becomes grayish brown, becoming thick and scaly with long ridges.

Reproduction
The Eastern white pine does not naturally reproduce vegetatively. They take little cuttings off of the last seasons twigs, during winter, off of baby trees. These root very well however. Within a couple years the outplanted cuttings will have developed the same structure as the seedlings which will form to a root system. The Eastern white pine can live up to 200 years. 

Ecology
The Eastern white pine is found in various places around the world. They grow across the United States and also through Canada as well as Mexico. This tree lives in any climate that is cool, humid and has well drained soil but also likes rocky highlands and swampy areas. Most of the nothern white pines precipitation occurs during the warm seasons. The annual precipitation can range from 20-80in. The length span of the growing season can range from anywhere from 90-180 days.

Related References

 * USDA
 * Wikipedia
 * Conifers
 * Pinus strobus fact sheet
 * Wildwnc