Spermatophytes (seed plants): Gymnosperms (non-flowering plants): Conifers: Pinales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Pinus rigida
FAMILY
Pinaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may also want to check Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
and The Pines of South Carolina
Learn more about Pinus from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Pinus rigida
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Pinus rigida
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 016-01-006:
Pinus rigida FAMILY Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Pinus rigida
(?) -
Pinus rigida ssp. rigida
COMMON NAME:
Pitch Pine
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905) mtna_i_049b
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_piri_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_piri_005_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm210209_8702
February Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm210209_8704
February Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm210309_8917
March Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_pinus_rigida
March
Needles usually 3 per bundle, stiff, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_pinus_rigida_2
March
Cones with a wide flat base when open; prickles sharp, downcurved, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_pinus_rigida_3
March
Tufts of needles can sometimes be seen growing on trunk (epicormic buds), per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm220412_6701
April Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
Contrast its straightish trunk, uniform upper bark, & pompom-like tufts of needles w nearby Va Pine.
)
JK Marlow jkm160504_358
May Jackson County NC
Panthertown
)
JK Marlow jkm160504_361
May Jackson County NC
Panthertown
Pollen cones yellow-green w purple tinge, clustered at base of terminal bud, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm160504_363
May Jackson County NC
Panthertown
Cones 3-8cm long, egg-shaped when closed, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm160504_400
May Jackson County NC
Panthertown
Pollen cones shedding pollen.
)
Keith Bradley kab_pinus_rigida_9383
June Madison County VA
Shenandoah National Park
)
JK Marlow jkm210710_2092
July Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Bark is dark, divided into rough, irregular scaly plates and ridges, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
JK Marlow jkm210710_2093
July Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm210710_2097
July Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm220705_8962
July Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
Bark scales lack the distinctive pitch pockets oft found in Shortleaf Pine, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm220705_8963
July Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm150912_122
September Clay County NC
Nantahala National Forest: Tusquitee Ranger District
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Pinus rigida
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Pinus rigida
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Pinus rigida
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 016-01-006:
Pinus rigida
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Pinus rigida
(?)
-
Pinus rigida ssp. rigida
1091
Tree
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: Southward primarily on dry ridges, more or less requiring fire for its reproduction, less commonly in peat soils of mountain bogs (and then often at elevations of 800-1000 m), northward (as in NJ) in acidic sandy and peaty soils near sea level, and also scattered through a variety of forest types, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in NC Mountains, uncommon in GA & SC Mountains & NC Piedmont (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Needles 3-4" long (normally)
Needles 3 per bundle
"FLOWER":
Spring
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Cone
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p303
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p185
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p194
- Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America (Williams, 2007) p338
- Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995) p175
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p271
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p034
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p01
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p250
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p241
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".