Saturday, June 13, 2009


THE STROBILI OF A PINUS STROBUS—

Translation: The flowers (cones) of an Eastern White Pine tree. These magnificent trees grow to the towering height of near 100 feet in my mixed woods and, this time of year, their strobili (pictured above) produce pollen that often appears as a yellow cloud dancing on the breeze.

In our colonial period England claimed all white pines 24 inches in diameter and larger for ship masts of their naval fleet. They often achieve a diameter up to three feet at maturity. It is the state tree of Maine and Michigan.

Both male and female strobili occur on the same tree. Pollen generated by the staminate (male) cones fertilizes the pistillate (female) cones in which the seeds of mature pine cones will grow.

Historically this pine has been one of the most valuable lumber trees. It is easy to propagate and has been a major species for reforestation in the northeastern US and Canada.

It also has seen popular use in folk medicine. Colonists used the inner bark as an ingredient in cough remedies and early Native Americans used it as food.

The tree also is a great food and shelter source for a variety of wildlife species. In fact, no other conifer provides as much shelter and food. Turkeys like to browse on its sap. Cavity nesting birds such as owls like it for nest sites.

And, it is very common for me to find little piles of pine cone remnants where a squirrel has enjoyed its recent meal of seeds.

The folks at The Chattooga Quarterly put it thusly; “This tree is deeply rooted in its ecological niche, serving generously both human and wildlife needs.”

It surely makes the nuisance of a little yellow, springtime pollen pale in comparison to the good it creates.

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