The graceful white pine might be the official Maine state tree, but it’s the gnarled and twisted old pitch pine that ought to hold that title. There’s no grace in the pitch pine, no beauty to be found. There’s no trademark statuesque appearance and no landscape enhancement with the old pitch pine. It’s just a twisted, gnarled, grumpy, tattered old tree--and that’s why it’s perfect!
The pitch pine (Pinus rigida) is native to eastern North America and can thrive in dry, acidic soils as well
as swampy lowlands. It can deal with
very poor conditions. The needles are
terribly prickly and twisted, and the pinecones have horrible sharp thorns on
them! I have gashed my hand on them many
times by accident. It has the really
weird ability to resprout from “epicormic shoots” when the bark is damaged,
especially by fire, and it’s common to see tiny little shoots coming out from
all over the main trunk or branches.
Many people like to use it for bonsai training because of this feature,
and it is this very gift of the pitch pine that makes it such a tough survivor
when other pines would have died.
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| Sharp, thorny pinecones of the pitch pine. |
The pitch pine is slow-growing and crooked, and it has a
high resin content that helps to preserve it from decay. In the past, this feature made it very
suitable for railroad ties and mine timbers.
It’s not used as often these days, and because of its often twisted
trunk, it’s hard to find pitch pine of “high quality” lumber. However, when it is found, it can fetch a
very high price.
So why do I think that the horrible old pitch pine ought to
be the Maine
state tree instead of the beautiful white pine?
Simple. Because the pitch pine is
a survivor, a thriver. The pitch pine is
an opportunist. The pitch pine is
stubborn and resilient. The pitch pine
is adaptable and smart and knows its way around many difficulties. The pitch pine is unconcerned with looks and
appearances and ego. It has its own
terrible beauty and proudly displays it.
Now, those are qualities that I like! Those are qualities of resilience, determination,
and success. Those are the qualities of
a tough northern state that can be very cold and difficult to live in at
times. Those are qualities I look for
not only in the place I live but in the people with whom I associate. I should be very proud, indeed, if someone
were to call me a grumpy old pitch pine. It would mean that I'm as resourceful and wily as this tough old tree, which to my way of thinking is the real Maine state tree.
