Thanks to Canadian Border Outfitters for sharing this information on Boundary Waters. The white pine is a familiar sight. Its cluster of five soft thin needles gives it a delicate appearance when young. As the pine matures it stands out on the shoreline with its impressive size. Used during the logging era as main masts for ships, the white pine is now a common sanctuary for bald eagle and osprey nests.
Red pines grow to tremendous size also.
The bark of a red pine will also have a reddish cast. Like the red pine, jack pine also have clusters of two needles. Both black and white spruce inhabit our area. Spruce have individual needles attached directly to the branch. The needles grow around the entire circumference of the branch.