559. Western white pine

The western white pine (Pinus monticola) is related to the eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) differing from it in having a more rounded form, wide-reaching limbs and larger cones. The western white pine is native to the western part of the United States, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, and the northern Rocky Mountains. It is the state tree of Idaho. The western white pine grows rapidly, attaining heights of 175 feet and trunk diameters from 5 to 8 feet. The needles grow in bundles of five. The bark of the mature western white pine is brownish-gray and broken into small block-like shapes. The wood is ideally suited for building applications including window and door frames, paneling and shelving. Western White Pine is closely related to the Eastern White Pine and replaced it as a source for timber after the virgin forests in the East were depleted. Its wood is the source of most matchsticks. P. monticola is the State Tree of Idaho. May live beyond 400 years. The specific epithet, monticola, is the Latin for “growing on mountains”

Common name: Western white pine, Mountain White Pine, Idaho Pine, Silver Pine, California Mountain Pine.

Scientific Name (family and order): Pinus monticola Douglas ex D. Don (Pinaceae, Pinales)

Species Origin: Western North America

New Jersey Status: USDA Unreported

Habit: 100 – 170’ high; Bole 2 -4’ diameter. Very large tree, straight with large trunk.,

Trunk/Stem: On mature trees the silver gray bark is broken into small, squarish plates. Branches widely spaced in distinct tiers.

Habitat: Hardy to Zone 4.

Leaves: Evergreen; needle-like in clusters of five; 2 -3” long, needles slender, twisted. Pale green above; blue-green with white lines beneath.

Flowers: Monoecious. Males cones are yellow; female are reddish purple. Starts to flower at 7 years.

Fruits and seeds: Cone 5 – 12” long, reddish brown. Narrowly ovoid to cylindrical when open. Hangs from 1” long curved pedicels. Cone scales lack prickles. Open cone has folded back scales. In the Rockies this pine has the longest cones of any native conifer. It seeds are small (3/16”) and have slender wings.

Why Dead Trees Matter

Contribution by Lilly Krauss:

When you venture in the wooded area of Marquand park, you may notice fallen trees and large branches on the ground. In this area of the park called natural woods, trees grow, mature, reproduce, die, and decompose without human intervention. Because dead trees are left undisturbed, natural woods have a healthier and more diverse ecosystem than wooded areas where fallen trees are routinely cleared.

When a fallen tree begins to rot on the ground, fungi and other microorganisms that live on dead wood break down the tree’s cell wall, thereby releasing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other essential nutrients to the soil. This decomposition produces rich organic matter for other trees to use.

Even standing dead trees, called snags, play an important role in the forest by supplying food and microhabitats. You may find snags stripped of their bark because in particular, deer and other small animals like to eat the bark. Woodpeckers bore deep holes in snags to get at insects or larvae within. These holes become nesting sites for woodland birds. Rotting tree bases provide homes for small mammals. Finally, birds of prey use standing dead trees as lookouts.

To read more about the importance of natural woods:

Dead Wood by Dan Puplett.
Science News for Students, recycling the dead, by Kathiann Kowalski
The Biological Carbon Cycle, by Professor Patricia Shapley, University of Illinois, 2010
Science findings, PNW Pacific Northwest Research Station, issue twenty/ November 1999
Whether fallen or standing, trees have many uses, Karen Maserjian Shan, February 28, 2015

Japanese Knotweed

The recent discovery of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) around the parking lot of Marquand Park demands some attention. The perennial has a bamboo-like reddish stem, heart-shaped bright green leaves, and when blooming pretty little white-flower tassels. Introduced in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, Japanese knotweed became popular as a garden plant because of its soft and pleasing effect. In the United States, Frederic Law Olmsted was responsible for planting it in Central Park.

Over time, the plant has become the most pernicious weed in Great Britain posing a threat to building structures and road surfaces. In the United States, Japanese knotweed is considered an invasive in 38 states and occurs on the New Jersey Invasive Plant Species List. The weed likes to grow along roads and in areas disturbed by human activity. It spreads like wildfire. Eradicating a cluster of plants is not easy. A home improvement website called the Spruce describes techniques such as using tarp to smother the weed; cutting and digging up the plant and its root system; and spraying and injecting knotweed with herbicides. In the United Kingdom, scientists are experimenting with the release of a plant eating insect called Aphalara itadori that feeds on the Japanese knotweed and kills the plant.

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