shortleaf pine
Pinus echinata
Shortleaf pine is an important commercial timber tree of the U.S. southeast. It is the least exacting of the the southern yellow pines regarding temperature and moisture. Shortleaf pine needles are 3 to 5 inches long, occuring in bundles of 2 or 3.
Shortleaf pine is used for lumber, plywood, structural materials, and pulpwood.
The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. Red-cockaded woodpecker nests in older trees afflicted with heartrot.
Shortleaf pine is shade intolerant. Clearcut and seed-tree methods work best. Shelterwoods and group selections have been used successfully by smaller landowners.
little leaf diseaseNantucket pine tip moth
Fun facts
A unique feature of shortleaf is the ability of young trees to sprout following fire.Pinus
Latin name for pine from Greek "pitus".
echinata
Greek "echinos" (a hedgehog, prickly - a reference to the cone scales).
2004 Virginia
Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming
by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen,
Guy Phillips, or Andrew
S. Meeks.
questions, comments, and criticisms: email John.Peterson@vt.edu