Missouri Plants White pine   (Pinus strobus) Tracheophyte: Gymnosperm: Pine (Pinaceae) Native North American, non-native Missouri tree Habitat: any full sun area in lawns and landscaped areas. ID Features: 5 needles per bud, tree with shaggy appearance. Natural History: The white pine is a tree native to eastern North America. It is a conifer that does not shed its needles annually as does the baldcypress. It is the only North American pine to produce 5 needles per bud, giving it a "shaggy" appearance. It prefers damp soils and is thus not commonly found on hilltops. Its wood is soft and is used to make 2X4's for rough lumber. Pines are gymnosperms and do not produce flowers. They produce brown cones that make their seeds.

The information is from: Trees of Missouri by Carl Settergren and Re. E. McDermott, University of Missouri-Columbia Agricultural Experiment Station, ©1979.