Why the name?

When we first pulled up the driveway to look at this house with the realtor, we were amazed at all of the pine trees growing around the house, more like weeds than a forest.  They were springing up literally everywhere.  While we both love pine trees, we also wanted a yard with an orchard area and gardens...and we wanted the view from the front porch to include the river below our hill. To accomplish that we needed to cut down trees. A lot of trees.

The pine trees that were sprouting up everywhere and anywhere were white pines,  hence the name, White Pines Homestead.  We do intend to keep many of the pines, but they still need to be thinned to ensure healthier trees which will grow to reach their full potential.

If you are interested at all in the history of the white pine,  keep reading, if not you may want to bail here.

Ahhh, I see you're still with me...so here's some interesting stuff I've read about the white pine;

The Eastern white pine, (Pinus Strobus) is pretty easy to identify, its needles occur in clumps of 5 along the stem and are about 3- 5" in length. They are bluish green in color and have a very thin white line along their needles. The trees can grow to 50-90 feet in height on average (and have been known to grow even taller, under ideal conditions, as in 188'). They tower over other trees among forests found in the Eastern part of the U.S. and are somewhat resistant to fire which means mature trees that do survive a forest fire will re-seed those burned areas.  Mature white pines will only have branches on the top half of the trunk. They also keep their needles for 18 months, then shed the older ones keeping only the new growth from that season.  They also grow well along bluffs and ridges and wooded slopes where there is good drainage, but they also need a soil that will hold a decent moisture content and with a slightly acid Ph. Young trees grow quickly adding 2-3 feet in height each year, that growth rate does taper off as they get older, but not for quite a few years. (No wonder they grow like weeds in our yard!)

They are really great for making wreaths and garland since they also hold onto their needles once they've been cut for quite a while.  But as Christmas trees, you will find they are almost always trimmed since their needles and branches are quite long and unless trimmed are not preferred for hanging ornaments.

White pines are also a good choice for people with allergies.  They have very little to no smell. The needles have more vitamin C (by weight) than lemons and make an excellent herbal tea. Native Americans used to mix their resin with beeswax to treat infections or prevent an infection.  Their pine tar mixed with beer is said to remove tape or roundworms.  Mixed with sulfur it's good for treating dandruff.  Its resin has also been used for centuries in waterproofing materials such as baskets and boat bottoms.

The Pine Tree Riot of 1772 was a precursor to the American Revolution? Apparently, the Eastern white pine grew tall and straight and made incredible masts for the tall ships.  It so happened the British Navy was in need of these tall trees from the Americas so agents of the Crown went around marking the prime timbers with the royal mark, reserving them only for the British Royal Navy. This caused a great controversy which even led to rioting among the 13 colonies as an act of rebellion against the British. So the white pine played a small role in the events leading up to the American Revolution. Who knew?

They also led in the development of the lumber industry in the North Eastern U.S. in the 18th century and still play an important role in today's lumber market. The wood doesn't shrink or swell much making it ideal for doors and mill-work.  Back in the day white pines covered much of the northeastern U.S., but today only about 1% of the old growth forests remain, the newer forest growth is still providing wood, but sadly you won't find the same height and width of the old growth forests available today, (except perhaps in a few isolated areas.)

Lastly, the Iroquois' called the White Pine tree, the tree of peace.  I like that and it's exactly how we feel when we are sitting on the porch looking out over the tops of our pines...we are at peace.

And now you know...what's in the name.