Overall, I would say white pine is not a good performer in Central and southern Illinois, but there are a lot of exceptions of stands of white pine that are doing great. White pine performance in Illinois is strongly dependent upon site choice. We have a lot of white pines that are declining largely due to being planted in sites with poor drainage or heavy clay. White pine does best in moist, but well drained soils with little clay content. The biggest recommendation I have is choose a site that is best for white pine or, if you do not have the right soils, choose a different tree.
