Pinus strobus (White Pine)
Pinus strobus (White Pine)
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Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) expresses the viable seed content of a seed lot using its purity and germination or viability test results. It helps you compare seed lots and calculate how much bulk seed is needed to meet a specified PLS planting rate.
PLS weight and bag weight
PLS weight is not the same as the total weight of seed in a bag. For example, a lot with 80% purity and 75% viability contains 60% PLS: 80 × 75 ÷ 100 = 60. Supplying 10 lb PLS from that lot requires about 16.67 lb of bulk seed.
Use the current seed test and the stated basis of the mix specification. Germination calculations may include applicable hard or dormant seed. Seed-count estimates also require the number of seeds per pound; PLS alone does not provide a seed count.
What to check when buying a mix
Check whether each rate is stated in PLS pounds, bulk pounds, or a combination. A mix with both bases should not be described as having an all-PLS total.
PLS does not remove weed seeds or guarantee establishment. Review the seed label and analysis for weed content, and match site preparation, planting conditions and follow-up management to your project.
Sources: USDA NRCS, Understanding Pure Live Seed and The Importance of Seed Quality for Natural Resource Conservation.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Eastern white pine needs room to become a very large evergreen. Loose, well-drained sandy soil suits it, while heavy clay and strongly alkaline ground are poor matches.
Sun exposure for Pinus strobus: full to partial sun. Soil conditions: moist to dry-mesic; well-drained. Recorded habitats include upland woods; Sandy woods; Forested bogs, less commonly. Reported height: typically 80–120 ft at maturity.
Its below-ground structure is described as shallow, much-branched woody roots; no taproot. Choose the permanent location with that root structure and the mature size in mind. Planning the surrounding space at planting time reduces the need to reorganize an established bed later.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Full to partial sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Moist to dry-mesic; well-drained |
| Height | Typically 80–120 ft at maturity |
Native landscape companions
For full sun and mesic soil, consider these native plants alongside Pinus strobus:
| Companion plant | Height |
|---|---|
| American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) | About 60-100 ft |
| Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens) | 1-3 ft |
| Black Oak (Quercus velutina) | 60-80 ft |
| Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) | Up to 80 ft |
These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Central trunk with whorled branches; conical crown becomes flatter and irregular with age; can form stands by reseeding |
|---|---|
| Root form | Shallow, much-branched woody roots; no taproot |
| Soil pH | Reported suitable pH 4.0–7.0; strongly alkaline soil is unsuitable |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 3a–8b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Vulnerable to intense heat and drought |
| Deer browsing | Deer resistance reported in cultivation guidance; browsing remains possible. |
| Salt tolerance | Low |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Pinus strobus |
|---|---|
| Other common names | white pine; Eastern White Pine; North American White Pine; Northern White Pine; Soft Pine; White Pine |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified. |
| Plant family | Pinaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 27040 |
Plant characteristics
Pinus strobus (White Pine) is one of my favorite trees. It is fast growing and has an exquisite needle texture that looks fluffy enough to sleep on. Another great dimension of this plant is its exquisite smell, the smell of the north woods. Although this plant is at the southern tip of its range naturally in northern Illinois, it makes an excellent tree for your landscape.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Other documented plant associations
These published associations show how this plant fits into natural vegetation. The region and community are identified for each list; moisture, shade and flooding can differ within a community.
Forest overstory associates of northern red oak
Eastern North America; species-range synthesis
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- White-pine and blueberry habitat types (Minnesota): Amorpha canescens.
- Coastal dune forests (Northern Lake Michigan): Prunus virginiana.
- Mixed hardwood and conifer forests (Eastern North America): Betula alleghaniensis.
- Mixed forests (Great Lakes–St. Lawrence region): Betula alleghaniensis.
- Hardwood and mixed forests (Eastern North America; associations vary across the range): Fagus grandifolia.
- Mixed forests (Eastern North America): Betula lenta, Populus grandidentata, Populus tremuloides, Prunus serotina, Quercus velutina.
- Dry white-pine understory (Eastern North America): Vaccinium spp., Gaultheria procumbens, Diervilla lonicera, Comptonia peregrina, Pteridium aquilinum, Andropogon virginicus.
- Moist, rich white-pine understory (Eastern North America): Oxalis spp., Mitchella repens, Aralia nudicaulis, Arisaema triphyllum, Dennstaedtia punctilobula.
- Additional white-pine ground flora (Eastern North America; account synthesis): Aster macrophyllus, Maianthemum canadense, Cornus canadensis.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FACU |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 10 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kentucky; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects
This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.
Moths
- Amorbia humerosana — White-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Aphelia alleniana — Wide-Striped Leaf Roller, Allen's Tortrix
- Argyrotaenia pinatubana — Pine Tube Moth
- Crocigrapha normani — Norman's Quaker
- Dichomeris setosella — Hairy Dichomeris
- Dioryctria auranticella — Ponderosa Pineconeworm Moth
- Dioryctria ebeli — South Coastal Coneworm
- Dioryctria zimmermani — Zimmerman Pine Moth
- Eacles imperialis — Imperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Exoteleia dodecella — Pine Bud Moth (listed as introduced in the source)
- Macaria bisignata — Red-Headed Inchworm
- Macaria minorata — Minor Angle
- Macaria pinistrobata — White Pine Angle
- Ocnerostoma piniariella (listed as introduced in the source)
- Ocnerostoma strobivorum — White Pine Needleminer
- Panthea acronyctoides — Black Zigzag, Tufted Spruce Caterpillar
- Panthea furcilla — Eastern Panthea, Tufted Pine Panthea
- Pococera robustella — Pine Webworm
- Rhyacionia buoliana — Pine Tip Moth, European Pine Shoot Moth (listed as introduced in the source)
- Rhyacionia frustrana — Nantucket Pine Tip Moth
Other insect & wildlife relationships
Caterpillars this plant can feed
Imperial Moth.
- Seed and shelter: Birds and mammals use the seeds, and the tree provides shelter.
Additional published species records; Illinois insect occurrence is not established by this account. These records do not guarantee that every insect occurs at your planting site.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for White Pine?
Light: Full to partial sun. Soil moisture: Moist to dry-mesic; well-drained.
How do I germinate and establish White Pine from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified.
Is White Pine deer and herbivore resistant?
Deer resistance reported in cultivation guidance; browsing remains possible. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Hardwood and mixed forests — Eastern North America; associations vary across the range; White-pine and blueberry habitat types — Minnesota; Mixed forests — Eastern North America. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online; USACE National Wetland Plant List.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: querub; USDA Forest Service: Amorpha canescens; USDA Forest Service: Betula alleghaniensis; USDA Forest Service: Fagus grandifolia; USDA Forest Service: Pinus strobus; USDA Forest Service: Prunus virginiana; USDA NRCS PLANTS; USDA Forest Service: species review; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Wildlife records: Shropshire & Tallamy: caterpillar hosts (2025).
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Caterpillar research records
Plant: Pinus strobus
Record scope: Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.
Shropshire & Tallamy (2025) · Original research dataset · Reuse license: ODbL-1.0
| Plant names in the source | Source insect record IDs |
|---|---|
| Pinus strobus | 200710, 201195, 201454, 203616, 204062, 204170, 204180, 204206, 204360, 205915, 208010, 208042, 208049, 208894, 208895, 209237, 209238, 210282, 210989, 210992 |
How these records were selected
To reproduce this selection, use the “UDELep May 2025” worksheet in the original research dataset.
- Match the insect record IDs above to column A (UDLepID). Within each table row, pair every listed insect ID with every listed source plant name.
- Use the first two words in column H for the insect’s scientific name, column E for its common name, and column AB for its source category.
- Treat the selected pairs as reported caterpillar host records. Keep all other source fields unchanged and outside this selected table. Include no other rows or host pairs.
- Group butterflies and skippers together, and the other categories as moths. Retain the source’s exotic-category labels and sort display names by scientific insect name.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
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Seed Shipping & Care
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