Seeing the Forest Through its Trees —Part III: Red Pine

By Larry Ely

In colonial America, red pine (Pinus resinosa) was more common in our forests than in the present day. Less abundant than eastern white pine, it was still a significant component of the region’s forests. Red and white pine were both heavily harvested to support building the new colonies and to provide timber and masts in England.

While both white and red pine are found together in the mixed northern hardwood forest, red pine thrives in dry, sandy soils and rocky ridges and is drought resistant while white pine does better on richer, more humid sites. Both pines are adapted to fire, and the abundance of both species in pre-colonial times was probably related to the use of fire by Abenaki natives to manage the landscape.

Old growth forests might have seen red pines reaching 125 to 150 feet or more in height with diameters up to 60 inches and a lifespan up to 250 to 500 years. Those found in today’s forest usually grow to 60 to 80 feet in height with a 2 or 3 foot diameter and a lifespan rarely reaching 150 to 200 years.

Red pine is intolerant of shade and generally becomes naturally established after fire on a preferred site. Two-inch long cones mature in the fall of their second season, typically falling in their third October, and a summer fire provides perfect conditions for their establishment and growth. Burned soil lacks hardwood sprouts and the fast-growing red pine seedlings face little competition for sunlight. Seedlings grow up to a foot or two each year during their first 60 to 70 years until growth slows. Red pine is also found on rocky knolls and ridges which are prime natural habitats for red pine, providing the specific dry, well-drained conditions they prefer. 

Red pine has shiny dark green needles in clusters of two about 4 to 6 inches long. The

needles snap cleanly in two when bent in half and are slightly longer than the needles of white pine which has clusters of 5 needles.  Mature red pine has distinctive flaky reddish-brown bark in contrast to the deeply furrowed grayish-brown bark of white pine.

Red pine has been called “hard pine” as it is heavier and harder than white pine.  It is close grained, strong and has been  used for building construction, lumber and pulp. In early America, it was also used extensively for log homes by settlers.

The Brown Company planted plantations of red pine in straight rows throughout the region between the 1930s and 1960s, and many of those stands still exist along with natural stands and individual trees found on preferred sites. Red pine was seen as ideal to reclaim old fields and improve their soil, but those planted stands were often abandoned much like the original fields. A biological desert of dark, overstocked forests often resulted, with minimal benefit to wildlife.  Shelburne Riverlands has a planted stand in decline on the site of a former potato field.

Natural stands of red pine are found on MLT’s Rumford Whitecap Preserve, and a smaller stand is found on the summit of Shelburne’s Crow’s Nest, protected by MLT conservation easement. 

This species adds to the diversity of our forests as it adds a unique habitat benefiting varied wildlife. Bumper crops of seeds only occur once every 4 to 7 years, but the tree provides cover and shelter and is used for nesting by many songbirds, including cedar waxwings. 

This is part of a continuing series looking at the life of the common trees in our Mahoosuc Mountain Region.