The stress of too little moisture was sometimes compounded by insect damage from the bronze birch borer and birch leaf miner. Different species grow to different heights at maturity and not all trees live to the same old age. Jack pine, for example, grow to a maximum height of 50 to 70 feet and live only 50 - 60 years. White pine, though, grow to 120 feet or more and live to 250 years. There can even be big differences in height among trees of the same species depending on the amount of sunlight, moisture, and soil nutrients the tree gets, the genetic makeup of the seed, and competition from neighboring trees.
Roots grow mostly sideways and can extend up to three times the height of the tree.
The shape of a whole tree actually resembles a wine glass set on a plate, with the plate representing the root system. It depends on the tree's species and age, but a mature, healthy tree can have 200,000 leaves. Trees, like any plants, thrive for many reasons. Most important is soil, sunlight and moisture. Centuries of erosion have determined the composition of soil in some parts of the state.