Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.)
  Common names: Northern white pine,
  white pine, soft pine, northern pine...
  Height: 75-100ft
  Diameter: 2-4 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: no
  Annual rainfall: 20-80
  Soil Needs: moist, sandy, pH 4.0-6.5
  Frost Free Days: 90
  Minimum Temperature (F): -33
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: 200-450 years
  State List: AL, AR, CT... more  
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.) holds the title of the tallest native conifer in the Northeast. Typically, it grows 75-100 ft tall and in extremely good sites, 150 ft is possible.  Trunk diameter is usually between 2-4 ft.  Eastern White Pine is a
long lived tree, reaching 200 years of age, possibly up to 450 years.  A rapid grower, at 20 years, heights of 40 ft can be expected and at 40 years,                   ...more
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Pinus strobus is native to scattered counties throughout northern Illinois
Pine Trees of Illinois
Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.)

  Height: 90-100 ft occasionally 110 ft
  Diameter: 2-3 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: low
  Annual rainfall: 35-65
  Soil Needs: moist, pH 4.0-7.0
  Frost Free Days: 150
  Minimum Temperature (F): -8
  Growth Rate: rapid
  State List:  AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL,
  KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK,
  SC, TN, TX, VA                      ...more                                           
Hailed as the leading commercial timber tree in the southeast United States, the native Loblolly pine grows rapidly with a straight trunk clear of branches.  It reaches 50 feet in just 20 years, and when mature can top 100 feet with a trunk diameter between 2-3 feet.  The bark on young trees is usually dark, blackish-brown and scaly. Mature Loblolly pines are                       ...more                                                    
Pinus taeda is native to scatter counties throughout southern Illinois
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Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida Mill.)
  Common names: Candlewood, Torch..  
  Height: 50-80 ft
  Diameter: 1-2 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: moderate
  Annual rainfall: 37-56
  Soil Needs: poor, sandy, dry...
  Frost Free Days: 112
  Minimum Temperature (F): -43
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: moderate
  State List: CT, DE, GA, IL,   ... more  
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Needles are in bundles of 3, are 3 to 5 inches long, and yellowish-green.  They are stiff, sharp tipped, can be straight or slightly twisted, and persist on trees for 2 to 3 years.  Found in the tops of trees, female cones are oval, 2 to 2.3 inches in length, and have prickles on each scale.  They are yellowish-brown to grayish-brown and remain on trees               ....more
Pinus rigida is native to the northeast part of Illinois
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton)
  Syn: Pinus resinosa Soland.
  Common names: Norway Pine..        
  Height: 50-100 feet
  Diameter: 2-3 feet
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: low
  Annual rainfall: 20-40
  Soil Needs: sandy, pH 5.1-5.5
  Frost Free Days: 80
  Minimum Temperature (F): -43
  Growth Rate: rapid
  ENDANGERED in Connecticut,
  Illinois, and New Jersey         ...more                                             
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A native conifer, Pinus resinosa, averages between 75 and 80 feet but may grow to 200 feet in optimal sites.  The largest trunk d.b.h (diameter at breast height) on record is 59.6 inches but the trunk base typically only reaches widths of 2 to 3 feet.  Red pines have a single stem, or trunk, that supports a symmetrical, dense, and oval crown that is supported by
...more
Pinus resinosa is native to a few scattered counties in the north, central, and southern regions of Illinios
Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata Mill.)
  Common names: Yellow pine, Old
  Height: 75-100ft
  Diameter: 2-4 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: no
  Annual rainfall: 20-80
  Frost Free Days: 90
  Minimum Temperature (F): -33
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: 200-450 years
  State List: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL,
  KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY,
  OK, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
  
An evergreen native conifer, Shortleaf pine has the widest distribution of any southeastern pine species.  It commonly attains 100 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter.  A straight single trunk supports a narrow, conical to pyramidal or flat topped crown.  It has a deep tap root and lateral roots about 24 inches beneath the surface and is wind firm.  Pinus echinata's   ...more
Pinus echinata is native to a few southern counties in southern Illinois
Table-Mountain Pine (Pinus pungens)
  Common names: Hickory Pine, Prickly
  Height: 50-60 ft
  Diameter: 2-3 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: high
  Annual rainfall: 36-60
  Soil Needs: well draining, pH 4.5-7.0
  Frost Free Days: 165
  Minimum Temperature (F): -18
  Growth Rate: slow
  Longevity: 250
  State List: GA, IL, MD, NC, NJ, PA,
  SC, TN, VA, WV                  ... more
A slow growing native conifer, Table-Mountain pine is a small tree, usually with a crooked trunk, only reaching 25 feet in height in the first 20 years of development.  The oldest known tree is 227 years and can be found in southwest North Carolina.  Pinus pungens grows up to 60 feet, most are around 50 feet tall.  The single trunk, reaching a diameter between 2              ...more
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Pinus pungen seeds are small and brown with a single, 1 inch long, papery wing
Pinus pungens is native to the a small area of the northeast corner of Illinois
Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana Mill)
  Height: 40-75 ft
  Diameter:1-1.5 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: highly
  Annual rainfall: 32-65
  Soil Needs: well draining, pH 4.5-7.5
  Frost Free Days: 90
  Minimum Temperature (F): -33
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: 200-450 years
  State List:AL, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY,
  MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA,
  SC, VA, WV
A native conifer, the Virginia Pine is a short to moderately lived tree, rarely reaching 150 years in age, and usually begins to decline between 65 and 90 years old.  Sometimes ragged or shrubby on poorer sites, Virginia pines only grow to a height of 25 feet in 20 years and reach a mature height between 40 and 70 feet.  Most trees do not exceed 1.5 feet in diameter.               ...more
Photo Gallery
Pinus virginiana seeds are brown and have a single papery wing
Pinus virginiana is only present as a small population near the southern tip of Illinois
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The state distribution maps in the species info boxes below are from the USDA NRCS PLANTS Database at plants.usda.gov.  In instances where state specific maps are unavailable, the US distribution map will be used in its place.  Also, the PLANTS Database website states "Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens, and confirmed observations.
However, not all populations have been documented, so some gaps in the distribution shown above may not be real. Remember that only native and naturalized populations are mapped!"

Pine trees are one of the most varied and widely spread genus of native tree species in North America.  From the cold mountains of Alaska to Nova Scotia in the east, from high wind-swept Rocky Mountain cliffs to the fertile Appalachian forests, on seaside borders, swamps, dry foothills, lowlands and everywhere in between, pine trees can be found.  Adapted to so many environments, pine trees are hardy survivors in their native habitat.  The pine trees of North America were used by Native Americans for treatments of respiratory ailments, in canoe building and even as food.  Today native pines are one of the most valuable commercial timber sources and continue to be used for construction, furniture, pulpwood, land management and more.
Search all North American native Pine species here.

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Illinois Native Pine Trees, Pinus
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Photo Gallery
Pinus taeda has grayish brown bark
Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda canopy
Photo Gallery
Pinus echinata cones are pyramidal to conical
Pinus echinata bark is rough and  flaky,  furrowed into vertical plates
Pinus echinata seeds have a single wing and are light brown
Distribution Maps courtesy USDA PLANTS Database