How big are white pine?
White pine are the largest conifer east of the Mississippi and the second largest pine in North America. Mature White Pine are usually about 100 ft tall and 3ft in diameter. Historically white pine of up to 250 ft tall and 10 ft in diameter were found. The largest white pine in Minnesota is in Itasca State Park, it is 14 1/2 ft around and 113 feet tall.

How long do white pine live?
The average mature white pine will live about 200 years. Some have been found that are over 450 years old!

What do their leaves look like?
White pine do not have leaves, they have needles. They are the only tree with five needle clusters east of the Mississippi, this makes them easy to identify. Their needles are bunched together in groups of five and each needle is between 3 and 5 inches long.

What does white pine bark look like?
The bark of a white pine changes as it grows. When they are young they have smooth gray-green bark. As they mature their bark turns gray-brown and it becomes rough. Mature trees have broad scaly ridges 1 to 2 inches thick that run up and down the trees. These ridges are separated by deep groves in the tree's bark.

Where do white pines like to grow?
White pines can live in a variety of habitats from dry sandy soils and rocky ridges, to sphagnum bogs. They grow best in a moist sandy soil. Historically white pine were found from Minnesota across the great lakes region and through out the northeastern United States. However, most of the white pine have been logged and now there are less than 1/10 of 1% of the original virgin white pine forests left. Luckily some of the last remaining old growth or virgin forests are found in the border country.

What happened to all of the white pine?
In the early 1600's the British began harvesting white pines and the harvesting continued for over 300 years until almost all of the white pines were cut down. The British used white pines to make masts for their ships because they were tall and straight as well as strong and light. White pines played a role in the revolutionary war because the king of England declared that all white pine over 24 inches in diameter belonged to the king and anyone who cut one down would loose their land. This made the people living in America mad and was one of the reasons for the revolutionary war. The white pine was on the first flag of the revolutionary soldiers, the that flag was carried at the Battle of Bunker Hill. People thought that the forests white pines, 200 feet tall and stretching for miles, would last forever. Between 1776 and 1940 2.4 quadrillion board feet of white pine was logged. All of this wood stacked in a city block would stack 400 miles high! By the 1950's all of the vast forests of white pines had been cut down. The only remaining stands were small pockets in very remote areas such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Are there animals that depend on white pine to survive?
There are many animals that use white pines. Mother black bears often hang out around white pines with their cubs. The rough bark of the white pine is easy for the bears to climb and the big branches are easy for them to rest on. A 31 year study in the border country showed that 81% of bald eagles nest in large white pines and 77% of Osprey nest in large white pines even though white pines make up less than 1% of the trees in the forest! This is an example of how important these big and beautiful trees are.

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red pine (Pinus resinous)

How big are red pine?
Red pine usually grow to be about 80 feet tall and 30 inches in diameter. However the largest in Minnesota is 120 feet tall and two grown people can barely get there hands to touch when they hug the tree!

How long do red pine live?
Red pine usually live about 200 years.

What do their leaves look like?
Red pine do not have leaves, they have needles. Their needles grow in bunches of two needles each. Each needle is 4 to 6 inches long.

What does their bark look like?
Red pine bark is reddish in color and scaly when they are young. As they mature the bark forms broad flat plates with shallow groves between them.

Where do red pine live?
Red pine prefer sandy soil and rock out crops. They are often found in places where the soil fertility is low. They are found from eastern Minnesota to the north eastern United States as well as south eastern Canada. Red pines are very common in the Border Country and have taken over much of the area that was predominately white pine before everything was logged. In 1953 Minnesota made the red pine their state tree.

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tamarack (Larix Laricina)

How big are tamarack?
Tamarack can grow to about 80 feet tall and 18 inches in diameter.

How long do tamarack live?
Tamarack usually live about 150 years.

What do their leaves look like?
Tamarack do not have leaves, they have needles. Their needles grow in bunches of 15 to 60 needles each. Each needle is 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches long, with a blue green color. Tamaracks are unusual because they loose their needles in the fall and then grow new ones in the spring. In the fall tamaracks turn a beautiful shade of gold and I think have the most beautiful fall colors

What does their bark look like?
Young trees have a smooth gray bark. As the trees mature their bark becomes scaly and reddish-brown.

Where do Tamarack live?
Tamarack are usually found in cold, wet, poorly drained places. They are often found with black spruce and white cedar. However, they can also be found grouped together around the edges of a bog. These trees are North Americas most northerly tree. They are found as far as 72 degrees north, which is way up in Alaska and northern Canada!

What are some other interesting facts about tamarack?
The Ojibwa people of Minnesota used the roots of the Tamerack to sew together pieces of birch bark to make their canoes as well as other things out of birch bark. Tamarack is also known for it's rot-resistant wood, which has been a sought after commodity for a long time.

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black spruce (Picea mariana)

How big are black spruce?
Black Spruce can grow up to 100 feet tall and about 24 inches in diameter. However, most trees are smaller reaching about 50 feet and one foot in diameter.

How long do Black Spruce live?
Black spruce can live 150-200 years.

What do their leaves look like?
They have straight, thin, needles, which are usually about 1/2 inch long. The white spruce has 1 inch needles but is very similar in other aspects. The needles grow all along the outer branches of the trees.

What does their bark look like?
Young trees have a reddish or grayish-brown bark. As the trees mature they grow large thin scales of bark.

Where do black spruce live?
Black spruce are found through out the north eastern part of the United States and most of Canada. In the southern part of its range, which enclosed the border country, black spruce are usually found in wet, poorly drained, boggy areas. They are often found with Tamarack or white cedar. Farther north black spruce are found in moist nutrient rich soils, this is where the largest trees are found.

What are some other cool fact about black spruce?
Black spruce bogs often make great places to camp in the winter. They are often sheltered from the wind and provide an ample supply of firewood. The hard resin that seeps out of this tree can be chewed like chewing gum! It is called spruce gum. Many native people used the roots to sew baskets and birchbark canoes.

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quaking aspen or Poplar (Populus tremuloides)

How big are quaking aspen?
Quaking aspen can grow to be over 80 feet tall and 16 inches in diameter.

How long do quaking aspen live?
Quaking aspen usually live about 80 years.

What do their leaves look like?
Their leaves are broadly oval and 1 to 2 1/2 inches long. They have an uneven tooth-like edge around the leaves. They loose their leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring.

What does their bark look like?
Their bark is smooth with a light green to white color when they are young. As they age their bark becomes darker with dark rough ridges and diamond shaped patterns.

Where do quaking aspen live?
Quaking aspen can live in many different habitats. They are a very fast growing tree and often grow in areas that have recently been disturbed by logging, fires, or other things that cause openings in the forest for light hungry, fast growing plants. Quaking aspen can produce clones which are genetically the same as their parents. These clones grow out of the roots of their parent tree. Often the trees covering several acres are all genetically the same because they came from clones off the same tree. Clones of 50,000 trees covering over 200 acres have been found! However, most of the ones in the border country are an acre or less. The oldest one in Minnesota is over 8,000 years old!

What are some other cool fact about quaking aspen?
Quaking aspen are found farther north than most other deciduous trees. The thicker, whiter, bark on the south side of a quaking aspen helps protect it from the freezing and thawing that occur in winter in the far north. There are also over 300 types of insects that eat different parts of quaking aspen. Black bears also like to eat the new leaves off quaking aspens after they wake up from months of hibernation.

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paper birch (Betula papyrifera)

How big are paper birch?
Paper birch can grow to be over 80 feet tall and 16 inches in diameter.

How long do paper birch live?
Paper birch can live about 120 years.

What do their leaves look like?
Their leaves are broadly wedge shaped and 1 1/2 to 3 inches long. They have an uneven tooth-like edge around the leaves. They loose their leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring.

What does their bark look like?
Their bark is thin and smooth, dark red or brown on the new stems. As the tree grows the larger branches turn a creamy white color. The bark will often shed in large paper like sheets. If you remove the outer layer of bark you will find a reddish orange layer. If you peal off too much bark you can kill the tree. Birch bark is very good for starting fires. However, it is important to remember that you should only take bark off of downed trees, not live or standing trees.

Where do paper birch live?
Paper birch are often found on the edges of lakes and forest edges. They are not shade tolerant and need a lot of light to grow and develop. They are often among the first trees to grow in an area that has been burned of logged. They are a northern tree and are found in the northern United States and most of Canada.

What are some other cool fact about paper birch?
Traditionally birch bark played a very important role in the Ojibwa culture. Their summer and winter houses were made out of birch bark. The bark was used to cover the out side of the shelters to keep out the wind and rain. They also used the bark to make birch bark canoes which were their main form of transportation in the summer. When the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company began trading furs in the 1700 the native people were hired to build birch bark canoes for them to use in their trading. Some of these canoes were able to carry sixteen people and 8,000 pounds of cargo! You can also make birch syrup out of the sap which is similar to maple syrup. However, the sugar content in birch sap is not as high as maple tree sap so you have to boil the sap longer to make syrup.

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northern white cedar (Thula occidentalis)

How big are white cedar?
Northern white cedar usually grow to be about 50 feet tall and 12-16 inches in diameter. However, they have been known to grow much larger even reaching four feet in diameter.

How long do northern white cedar live?
Northern white cedar can live to be very old. There are many of these slow growing trees that have been estimated to be over 700 years old.There is one giant that I will be visiting during the adventure that is estimated to be between 1,100 and 1,400 years old! It is an amazing sight and well worth visiting.

What do their leaves look like?
Their leaves are a dull yellowish green color. They are very small only about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and they form a branch like arrangement on the branches.

What does their bark look like?
When they are young they have a smooth, shinny, reddish-brown bark. When they get older the their bark turns into long, flat gray-brown strips that get larger as the tree gets larger.

Where do northern white cedar live?
They are found in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. They are often found along the edges of lakes growing out over the water. They usually grow in small, pure stands, or mixed with other trees such as white pine, yellow birch, and eastern hemlock.

What are some other cool fact about northern white cedar?
The bark of a cedar tree spirals to the left when they are young and then after 75 to 125 years the bark switches and spirals to the right. Cedars prove that size is not always a good way to estimate age. One cedar was 530 years old and weighted less than one pound! You can tell how old a tree is by counting the rings found inside the tree. This tree only had two or three cells in each ring! The northern white cedar was probably the first north American tree to be grown in Europe. It was brought to Paris France in the mid 1500's. Deer and Moose like to eat the leaves in the winter. You can often see a line about four feet up off the edge of a lake that has cedar along the edge. This line is called the browse line and is formed when deer and moose eat the lower branches.

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Sources
Elias, T.S. 1980. The complete trees of North America: field guide and natural history. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York.
Farrar, J.L. 1995. Trees of the Northern United States and Canada. Iowa State University Press, Ames.
Stensaas, M. 1996. Canoe country Flora: Plants and Trees of the North Woods and Boundary Waters. Pfeifer- Hamilton, Duluth, MN.