Pine needles in general are favourites of 203 species of moth and butterfly larvae. Although more common in the southern United States it can be found as far north and the southern Great Lakes. The imperial moth is one of the largest and most impressive in its range. and in Canada from the Atlantic provinces through Ontario, southern Manitoba, central Saskatchewan, and into Northern Alberta. The Pine Elfin is a rather drab brownish butterfly, which is found in most of the eastern U.S. It is the host plant for the Eastern Pine Elfin and used extensively by the imperial moth. Although it often goes unnoticed in the woodland setting, a recent drive through the forest around our home revealed a stunning number of natural white pine in various stages on life. If grown in a sheltered forest setting with rich soils, the eastern white pine can become huge with large straight trunks. By simply nipping off a third of the candle growth in spring, before they open, the tree will thicken up over time and provide an elegant, blue-green coniferous tree that is equally at home as a specimen in your garden as it is being used in numbers to form a screen or hedge. His pruning techniques showed me that there is also a simple solution to the rather open white pines that many gardeners shy away from purchasing. It also taught me that using large trees on small lots and pruning them to create the shape and size you are after can turn a basic backyard into a woodland retreat one would expect in the heart of northern Ontario or New York’s Adirondacks. The scene, in the middle of a typical, small suburban backyard, took me right back to my days of hiking in northern Ontario. The trees were pruned to thicken them up and perfectly screened a nearby wooden privacy fence. I remember how he used several of the trees packed close to one another to form a feathery background for a small waterfalls and pond. It wasn’t until I began to acquire an appreciation for plants, trees and natural landscaping that I really noticed the beauty of the eastern white pine.Ī landscaper shared his love for the tree with me during a tour of some of his projects. To this day, the trees are a vivid reminder of many memorable moments spent wandering Algonquin Park in search of moose, deer, beaver and anything else that would present itself to my camera. However, they certainly left an impression on me. If there was not a bear sitting in the branches, I was not really interested in it. In those days, however, I was more concerned with getting photos of the wildlife than admiring the trees. I was aware of its elegant branches from my many hikes in local woods and travels to Northern Ontario where the tree often dominates the landscape. I remember my first real introduction to the white pine. The size of the trees can be managed somewhat with regular pruning. Don’t let that stop you from squeezing one into your backyard landscape. So it goes without saying that the white pine is best suited for landscapes with ample space. Gardeners may also hesitate to plant the fast-growing tree that typically grows 50 to 80 feet in cultivation, but will grow to between 100-150 feet tall in the wild, with the record holder coming in at 200 ft tall. It’s too bad not enough gardeners celebrate our native pine and Ontario’s Provincial tree enough to plant it every chance they get. In the forests of Eastern Canada, the white pine stands above the rest growing taller than any other tree. It grows in zones 2 to 7 making it the perfect addition to many Canadian and American woodland and wildlife gardens looking for a tree with four-season interest. (For more on the importance of growing native trees, plants and shrubs in our gardens, go to my article here.) The Eastern White Pine is the only species that is native to the Carolinian Zone of Southern Ontario. This alone would make it a standout on most lists, but add the fact it looks as good in spring, summer and fall as it does in the coldest of winters, when neighbouring trees are stripped of their leaves, and you’ve got yourself a real winner. In fact, our native pine tree (Pinus Strobus) is not only beautiful in every stage of life, it also provides nesting habitat, food and shelter for numerous backyard birds. The eastern white pine just might be the single greatest tree for the woodland and wildlife garden. White pine is showstopper in Carolinian forest

White pine tree