Hoyt Arboretum, Portland, Oregon, USA

Common name: western white pine, Idaho white pine, mountain white pine, silver pine

Family: Pinaceae

Distribution: West N America

Habitat: Mixed conifer forests. Requires disturbance to regenerate

IUCN Red list: Near threatened

Hardiness: Zone 4a -30 to -25 F

Life form: Evergreen conifer

Comments: Western White Pine is a large tree that can grow to 160 feet (50 m.) It grows throughout the Cascades at elevations of 2000 to 5000 feet (600 to 1500 m.) The needles grow in bundles of 5. They are 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm.) The cones are 6 to 10 inches long (15 to 25 cm.) and curved like a banana. In the last 100 years the fungal disease White pine blister rust introduced from Europe has decimated Western White Pine west of the Cascades.