We've got Eastern white pine trees bordering our yard on one side -- our neighbour planted them there years ago. Our dad didn't particularly like them because their roots are invasive; he was concerned they would be a hazard to the foundation of our house.
So far, they haven't taken down the house. But they do provide a rough ride along the drive, as the roots stick up through the ground in places.
Still, they're beautiful, and we have fond memories of sitting beneath evergreens when we were little and staring up at the branches, warmed even in autumn by a blanket of fallen needles beneath us.
Called Weymouth pine in England, the Eastern white pine is the only native five-needle pine in Canada and the Eastern US. It grows from 80'-100' tall and beasr slender, tapering, thornless cones. The cones are also long-stalked and grow from 3"-6" long. Many other pines have scaly bark, but the Eastern white pine has a dark bark with deep furrows. In windswept northern areas, a dwarf matted form occurs.
We got our information from Eastern Trees, by George A Petrides and Janet Wehr.
We have numerous poplar trees in our yard, and the number seems to grow by the year. Poplars have always been favoured by our family; they're beautiful (as all trees are), taller than any other eastern forest tree, and have a terrific, spicy scent when you crush their buds or leaves. One of our poplars was felled in a storm one year, and the buds rubbed against other trees as it crashed down; the entire area was fragrant.
Poplar trees are also called 'tuliptrees' because of their tulip-like blossoms, which are orange and pale green to yellow. The trees flower from May to June. These flowers, along with green leaves, often fall in storms. Other names for this tree include 'yellow poplar' and 'tulip poplar,' although it is actually a relative of magnolias and not closely related to true poplars.
These trees grow straight and may reach a height of 50-100 feet, with a diameter of two to six feet. Their leaves are six to ten inches. Their seeds are eaten by songbirds and squirrels. The fruits grow clustered together in an upright cone-like structure about three inches long; they are winged and whitish, about one to two inches long individually. Yellow poplars are the state tree of Indiana. Their leaves turn golden yellow in autumn.
We got the photo from State Symbols U.S.A. (http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Indiana/Tree_tulip_poplar.html).
The information, aside from what we knew already, was gleaned from Eastern Trees, by George A. Petrides and Janet Wehr, statesymbolsusa.org, and the Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/treeDetail.cfm?id=25).
