re: Eastern White Pine in south Louisiana

Seed Production and Dissemination- Second-year cones mature during September and October and seeds are disseminated during November. When ripe, cones are green and have a specific gravity of 0.88. Test results show seeds are mature and germinable when the cones float in SAE 20-weight motor oil. Filled seeds sink in absolute ethanol, and empty or partially filled seeds float. Cleaned seeds are small, ranging from 88,180 to 114,640/kg (40,000 to 52,000/lb) and average 101,410/kg (46,000/lb). Seeds at a moisture content of between 5 and 10 percent have been stored for as long as 10 years at -17.8° to -15.0° C (0° to 5° F) and remained viable (16).

Seedling Development- Seeds are not highly viable if the trees are isolated and poorly pollinated. Stratification improves seed germination (11). Sixty percent germination can usually be attained after only 7 days of stratification at 4° C (39° F) (3); however, the recommended cold stratification regime is 0.6° to 5.0° C (33° to 41° F) for 28 days (16).