Shortleaf Pine
Scientific Name: Pinus echinata
— pronounced PY-nus ek-in-AY-tuh
— Pinus, Latin for pine
— echinata, from Greek ekhinos, a hedgehog, prickly - a reference to the
prickly scales on its cones
Pine Family (Pinaceae) is the family of conifer trees (rarely shrubs) that includes hemlock, fir, spruce, and pine.
Other Common Names: Old-field Pine, Rosemary Pine, Yellow Pine, Shortstraw Pine.
The bark of a mature Shortleaf Pine consists of flat reddish brown plates. The bark’s resin pockets, which appear as small circular holes, distinguish Shortleaf Pine from the other native pines.
— pronounced PY-nus ek-in-AY-tuh
— Pinus, Latin for pine
— echinata, from Greek ekhinos, a hedgehog, prickly - a reference to the
prickly scales on its cones
Pine Family (Pinaceae) is the family of conifer trees (rarely shrubs) that includes hemlock, fir, spruce, and pine.
Other Common Names: Old-field Pine, Rosemary Pine, Yellow Pine, Shortstraw Pine.
The bark of a mature Shortleaf Pine consists of flat reddish brown plates. The bark’s resin pockets, which appear as small circular holes, distinguish Shortleaf Pine from the other native pines.
Photos by David Rosher
The cones are 11⁄2 to 2 inches long, each scale armed with a small but sharp prickle. Once the cone has fallen, its prickles wear off.
Shortleaf Pine needles are slender and flexible, 3 to 5-inches long. They’re usually in bundles of 2, occasionally 3, occurring on the same branch.
The cones are 11⁄2 to 2 inches long, each scale armed with a small but sharp prickle. Once the cone has fallen, its prickles wear off.
Shortleaf Pine needles are slender and flexible, 3 to 5-inches long. They’re usually in bundles of 2, occasionally 3, occurring on the same branch.
Photos: cone by David Rosher; needles © Zihao Wang, CC BY 4.0
As it develops in the forest, Shortleaf Pine has a long straight trunk, with no lower branches and a small, open, pyramidal crown. It may grow to 80 to 100 feet tall.
As it develops in the forest, Shortleaf Pine has a long straight trunk, with no lower branches and a small, open, pyramidal crown. It may grow to 80 to 100 feet tall.
Photo by Douglas Goldman, CC BY-NC 4.0
More photos and ID tips: VA Tech dendrology, North Carolina State Extension
Shortleaf Pine is found mostly on moist to dry uplands, on sites with moderately well-drained soil low in both organic matter and mineral nutrients.
Shortleaf pine is mostly found in early successional forests and as a relict species as forests mature. It is a pioneer species, often among the first to colonize a site, but due to its height it often persists longer, with a few pines surviving to 150-200 years – although it is not able to reproduce under a closed canopy of hardwood trees.
Interesting Facts:
More photos and ID tips: VA Tech dendrology, North Carolina State Extension
Shortleaf Pine is found mostly on moist to dry uplands, on sites with moderately well-drained soil low in both organic matter and mineral nutrients.
Shortleaf pine is mostly found in early successional forests and as a relict species as forests mature. It is a pioneer species, often among the first to colonize a site, but due to its height it often persists longer, with a few pines surviving to 150-200 years – although it is not able to reproduce under a closed canopy of hardwood trees.
Interesting Facts:
- The Shortleaf Pine is one of the four “southern pines;” the others are Loblolly, Longleaf, and Slash Pines. Shortleaf is the only one of these whose range extends into the mountain areas.
- Shortleaf Pine, like Pitch Pine, is capable of sprouting when young. The taproot is usually curved, and this brings a short section near the surface of the ground. If the tree is injured by fire, extra buds on this portion of the root often send up new shoots.