Pinus strobus, the eastern white pine, is characterized by fascicles of 5 fine needles with a nonpersistent bundle sheath and relatively soft, unarmed, elongate seed cones whose scales are spread at maturity. The native range of eastern white pine stretches from southeastern Manitoba to Newfoundland in Canada and from Minnesota and Iowa eastward to Maine and Pennsylvania, with a southward Appalachian extension to Tennessee and Georgia and isolated occurrences in western Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana. A disjunct series of isolated populations sometimes segregated as var. chiapensis occurs in portions of southern Mexico and Guatemala. The species also has become naturalized from plantings, both within its historical range and elsewhere, including portions of Europe, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.

Natural stands of eastern white pine occur in a variety of habitats, ranging from dune forests to bogs and mixed conifer/hardwood forests. The species also colonizes old fields and other former agricultural lands that are reverting back to forests. It has been planted extensively in plantations and is also used to revegetate mine spoils. The species also is cultivated commonly as a shade and ornamental tree

Pinus strobus is an important timber tree for the production of softwood lumber. The wood is used for construction, cabinetry and furniture-making, handcrafts, and various other woodworking. Native American tribes used it extensively for various medicinal properties and it is an important food source for wildlife. The long history of cultivation has led to the development of numerous cultivars and forms. The species also was responsible for the importation of the exotic white pine blister rust, Cronartium ribicola, an important pathogen of timber trees in the white pine group in temperate North America.