Marissa Patrick

Pollan Essay: White Pine

Sunlight dappled the needle-littered forest floor as Henry, expert environmentalist and
our guide, weaved between the scaly trunks, affectionately patting each as he ambled by.
Looking down the trail along the trunks, I found myself wondering how these trees had managed
to grow in such perfectly straight lines, like soldiers lining up for battle. Upon further
explanation, Henry revealed that a man from Maine had replanted the trees after chopping them
down for an airstrip that was deemed unsuitable, but that they are not a native species to Giles
County, Virginia, where we were touring. I found it curious that something native to this
mountainous region of central Virginia hadnt been chosen. Why plant dozens of trees and risk
that they die because theyre unsuited for the climate or the soil? Its possible that the man
wanted something that reminded him of home, but I wondered if there was a greater reason,
something that drew people to this tree, an underlying meaning or use.
The eastern white pine, pinus strobus, is native to the American northeast and is the
tallest of the North American pine species (The Kings Broad Arrow and Eastern White Pine |
NELMA). Just as Henry did, it is often recognized by its soft, five-needle bundle with a bluishgreen hue and its deeply wrinkled gray bark that gradually lightens over time (Pinus Strobus Weymouth Pine -- Discover Life). Misleadingly regarded as the fruit of the tree, the seed is
contained in the gently curving pinecone and is consumed by countless birds, rodents and
mammals, especially vital during winter months when other foods sources are scarce. The dense
branches and roots also provide a home to creatures, including the bald eagle, rat snake, and
opossum (Eastern White Pine). Looking up towards the obscured sun at this magnificent
evergreen, its canopy looming above all the others, I could almost hear it proclaiming its

greatness to the entirety of the forest and down the mountainside. After learning how the white
pine serves so many members of its ecological family, I found myself wondering how humans
can benefit from a tree such as this. Perhaps not by living in the branches or roots, but through its
usage, is it possible that we are part of this family too?
The white pine seduced British settlers in the early 1600s; its great strength, relatively
low weight, and high elasticity proved its superiority as a shipbuilding material, and its evident
why. Gazing up, the trunk is sturdy and perfectly straight, with little tapering towards the top,
like a mast of a ship. Unsurprisingly, this is precisely what the colonists used it for (Forests for
Maines Future - Fresh from the Woods Journal - The White Pine, Enduring Symbol of the Maine
Woods). Colonists seemed to domesticate these white pines, growing them in northern forests
close to waterways, but is it possible that they domesticated the colonists as well? Colonists
chose to live in areas where the pines were readily available, limiting them to forested regions. In
what humans viewed as largely an economic venture, the trees were successful in carrying out
their genetic goal by increasing their coverage. In this way, pines have used us throughout
hundreds of years to replicate and further evolve themselves, allowing them to gain control of
increasingly larger regions.
Just as the colonists were enchanted by the white pine, so were the British. Upon
discovering the marked advantages of white pine, the navy reserved the best trees of New
England for the internationally-feared royal fleet by marking the trunk with the Kings Broad
Arrow, three slashes scarring the bark (The Kings Broad Arrow and Eastern White Pine |
NELMA). In a rather predictable fashion, this made the colonists very unhappy; within a matter
of years, the British had claimed so many trees that skirmishes broke out, giving rise to several

Parliament Acts that heavily taxed pine. Tensions rose and the Revolutionary War was started,
citing one of its grievances as the Swamp Law.
White pine has seen drastic changes in acreage within the last hundred years. In the late
1950s, Maine recorded 1.1 million acres of pine, and this value increased through the 1980s
(Forests for Maines Future - Fresh from the Woods Journal - The White Pine, Enduring Symbol
of the Maine Woods). By 2012, the acreage of white pine dropped to 700,000, and only one
percent of old-growth forests exist today. However, this number is expected to rise with
repopulation and reforestation efforts being undertaken by several state park authorities,
including those of Maine and Wisconsin. Because older and larger trees are scarce, today white
pine is primarily sold as lumber to be machined into cabinets or as Christmas trees. Companies
as common as Sears and Lowes, likely little more than a thirty minute drive from any town, sell
white pine as decoration for the holidays, sought out for its soft needles and high branch density
(Eastern White Pine on the Tree Guide at Arborday.org). This transition from manufacturing
material to decoration staple is a testament to white pine versatility, engaging and continually
using us for its cultivation, and we using it for our desire to build and expand our communities.
So why is the white pine this mans tree of choice? How has it managed to captivate
humans so much that we facilitate its expansion, and for so many decades? Perhaps it is the
tensile strength and incredible flexibility that offer our homes and ships so much stability. Or,
maybe it is the economic benefit we get from turning it into lumber. Perhaps it is the power and
prestige we associate with it; pine was sought out by the most powerful navy in the world to
ensure the construction of the fastest and fiercest vessels, so doesnt that confer some notion of
worthiness, of great sensibility to be able to obtain it? Or, maybe we associate it with pride of our
American heritage. Generations before us fought for the right to these trees, among other things,

in the Revolutionary War. A white pine then must be a constant reminder of the many sacrifices
made for our sovereignty today, the bravery it took to rise up against such a formidable enemy,
and the persistence required to not back down in face of adversity. Perhaps it is the memory of
many Christmases celebrated at home with Mom and Dad, digging for presents obscured by the
soft bristles. More likely, it is the conglomeration of these ideas. Stability, prestige, patriotism,
and family are all associated with this evergreen giant, and are what make us so fond of the white
pine. We have undeniably changed its course of history, transplanting it into many forests,
including that of the Mountain Lake. Indeed, it has changed ours as well.

Things to improve:

Clarity of first sentence

Expanding upon some ideas of why the white pine is important
In the second paragraph, give the readers a reason to want to continue reading
about the white pines history; how the white pine pertains to them in a modern
day state
Reflect upon the tone, discuss how humans and the white pine have evolved
together

Sources
Eastern White Pine. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.
Eastern White Pine on the Tree Guide at Arborday.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.
Forests for Maines Future - Fresh from the Woods Journal - The White Pine, Enduring Symbol
of the Maine Woods. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.

Pinus Strobus - Weymouth Pine -- Discover Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May 2016.
The Kings Broad Arrow and Eastern White Pine | NELMA. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.
White Pine. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2016.
WI Department of Natural Resources. White Pine Report. Division of Forestry. N.p., Dec.
2014. Web. 25 May 2016.