Charlottetown Great thing happen here

Coniferous Trees

The Pines

White Pine

• tallest native conifer in P.E.I.; 30m high and 60-100cm around
• have long, soft, flexible needles
• needles are in bundles of five; have lines of white dots on them
• cones hang and are often covered in sap
• grow best in full sunlight, and moist, sandy soil
• used for lumber, cabinet work and decorative purposes
• Song birds eat white pines seeds; squirrels, chipmunks and mice will snack on the needles
• preferred nesting sites for bald eagles
• White Pine Weevil is a beetle that causes extensive damage
• healthly White Pine can live up to 200 years

Red Pine 

• have a distinct reddish bark, that is furrowed into flat, scaly plates
• can grow up to 25m high and 30-60cm round
• grow best on sandy plain or in areas with low soil fertility
• needles of the Red Pine grow 10cm to 17cm long and in bundles of two
• shiny, pointed and will break when they are bent
• often used for poles and pilings
• provide good cover and nesting sites for animals
• mice and squirrels eat red pine seeds

Jack Pine

• only found in small scattered patches in P.E.I.
• often stunted in growth
• reach height 20m, but 12m high is common here
• trees are well resistance to pests
• can live 80 to 150 years
• grow in shallow soils, course sand and even permafrost
• pine cones can stay closed and on the tree for 10 to 20 years
• squirrels, chipmunks and mice will eat the seeds
• provide cover, food and a nesting area for birds

The Spruces

Black Spruce

• branches usually touch the ground
• main branches are short when compared to the branches of white and red spruce
• needles are straight, blunt-pointed and dull; appear bluish green
• upper needles point forward, while the side needles point out at right angles
• needles will grow 8 - 15mm long and have white dots on the underside
• grow up to 15m high and 15-30cm round
• can live for 50 - 200 years
• can hybridize with red spruce making the two hard to distinguish
• preferred for paper making
• seeds are eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, voles, shrews, mice, chickadees, crossbills and other animals

Red Spruce

• reddish-brown bark shed from the tree when they are young
• bark separates into reddish-black scales with age
• have a large, broad crown with branches growing at right-angles
• bark and twigs are lighter than that of black spruce
• have small dull gray cones
• needles of a red spruce are shiny yellowish-green, curved and pressed close to the twig
• 1.5- 2cm long with faint white dots on all sides
• grow up to 25m high and 30-60cm in diametre
• may live 100-200 years
• high tolerance for shade
• crossbills, pine siskins and other songbirds eat red spruce cones and will nest in these trees

White Spruce

• aka Cat Spruce or Skunk Spruce due to the distinct smell their needles give off when crushed
• 2cm long needles; straight, stiff with pointed tips and are bright green in colour
• grow to 25m in height and 60cm in diametre
• live 60 - 200 years in moderate shade
• provide a good nesting site and food for birds, as well as small mammals
• wood is often used for pulp, lumber and sounding boards in instruments

Flat Needled Conifers

Eastern Hemlock

• only native hemlock trees in Eastern Canada
• have a graceful, dense crown with droopy branches
• wood is weak, brittle, splits easily, full of knots and sparks when burning
• needles: flat, dark green with a white underside; grow 10-20mm long; have blunt, rounded or notched tips
• average lifespan is over 300 years; some individuals have reached 1000 years of age
• average height is 20m with a 60-120m diametre
• grow well in highly shaded areas
• seeds are eaten by birds; raccoon will nest in the larger trees

Balsam Fir

• most commonly used for Christmas trees
  • bell-shape, dark green colour, nice fragrance
  • needles that remain on the tree for awhile, after being cut
• only native fir in Eastern Canada
• As the tree ages brown scales appear in the firs grayish, smooth bark
• wood is light, soft and weak
  • often used for wood pulp and lumber
• adapt well to different soils and climates, although they prefer wetter areas
• needles: dark green, flat, soft and shines
• cones stand upright
• trees reach heights of 20m and 30-60cm round
• lifespan is 40-80 years
• vulnerable to many different diseases
• Squirrels will snack on the flower buds
• Needles, tips and buds are also used as food

The Odd-balls

Eastern Larch

• also known as Tamarack
• the only native larch in eastern North America
• only PEI needled tree that loses it needles in the fall
  • deciduous, coniferous trees
• grow in poorly drained sites reaching heights of 20m and 30-60cm round
• grow best in sunlight
• have four-sided bluish, green needles that turn gold in the fall
• may live for 60-120 years
• provide food for small mammals and birds
• wood is durable; it is used for posts, poles and boat building

Eastern White Cedar

• have dark yellow-green scale like needles and a distinct smell
• 4 - 6mm long needles overlap in pairs and are pressed closely to the twig
• grow up to 18m and 30-45cm round
• can live 100-200 years in moderate shade
• provide food for birds, such as pine siskins, grosbeaks and crossbills
• Aboriginal people taught European explorer, Jacques Cartier, to use boiled cedar needles, which are full of vitamin C, to treat scurvy

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