Description
I have come to increasingly appreciate the pines lately as I learn more about their tremendous importance as larval host plants for moths. Which is ironic, because pines are not pollinated by insects, as they are gymnosperms, cone bearing plants. But we see this often with our native plants; wind pollinated but crucial food plants in an insect pollinators life cycle (like Little blue stem grass and skipper butterflies, for instance. Little blue stem is wind pollinated, but a larval host plant to the skippers.) Pitch pine is the keystone species in remarkably varied natural communities here in Maine; from the bone dry Pitch pine scrub oak barrens, to the inundated habitat of Pitch pine wetlands. Pitch pine dominated forests are globally rare forest types, and we are lucky enough to have them here to observe, appreciate, and learn from. Grows much shorter than White pines do, they often have a stunted gnarly appearance that remind me of giant bonsai trees. They make an excellent specimen tree and focal point for your landscape. The foliage appears less dense than white pines do. This is because the fascicles, or needle clusters, are in counts of three, as compared to white pines which bear five needles.
18″ high plants in 2 gallon pots for $35 each
