Nature Walk: White Pine

The approximate age of a conifer, such as this white pine, can be determined by counting the number of whorls of branches from its base to its crown. In good growth years, the spaces between the branch whorls will be larger than in years of drought. We have all seen the rings recorded in a cross-section of a tree trunk. A pencil-like core can also be extracted with a coring tool, and growth rings can be analyzed without damaging the tree.

Sometimes weather and soil conditions can cause a tree to produce no rings or even multiple rings. How old are the trees around your home?

Because of trees’ long lifespan, Native Americans often bent them to create Trail Marker Trees to mark important places.

If you are interested in purchasing a print or requesting information on possible use for any of these photographs, please contact Carl.