T. H. Everett calls the pine family “the most important one of the great group of conifers.” Pines are valued for their sometimes fast growing nature and lumber. They have a fragrance on warm still days. They can be planted on sites on which other conifers won’t take hold. They can also be used as windbreaks, and screens.
Can you imagine the delight in finding new pine species in the New World? More than half the pines known are from the New World. Pinus strobus, the eastern white pine, reaches up to 200 feet tall.
Moreover, pines thrive on windiness and full sun and open places, so maybe the largest ones were found in majestic spots.
Sources:
The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture, 1981