North Carolina Native Pine Trees

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Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.)
Common names: Northern white pine,
white pine, soft pine, northern pine...
Height: 75-100ft
Diameter: 2-4 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: no
Annual rainfall: 20-80
Soil Needs: moist, sandy, pH 4.0-6.5
Frost Free Days: 90
Minimum Temperature (F): -33
Growth Rate: rapid
Longevity: 200-450 years
State List: AL, AR, CT... more

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.) holds the title of the tallest native conifer in the Northeast. Typically, it grows 75-100 ft tall and in extremely good sites, 150 ft is possible. Trunk diameter is usually between 2-4 ft. Eastern White Pine is a
long lived tree, reaching 200 years of age, possibly up to 450 years. A rapid grower, at 20 years, heights of 40 ft can be expected and at 40 years, ...more

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Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.)

Height: 90-100 ft occasionally 110 ft
Diameter: 2-3 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: low
Annual rainfall: 35-65
Soil Needs: moist, pH 4.0-7.0
Frost Free Days: 150
Minimum Temperature (F): -8
Growth Rate: rapid
State List: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL,
KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK,
SC, TN, TX, VA ...more

Hailed as the leading commercial timber tree in the southeast United States, the native Loblolly pine grows rapidly with a straight trunk clear of branches. It reaches 50 feet in just 20 years, and when mature can top 100 feet with a trunk diameter between 2-3 feet. The bark on young trees is usually dark, blackish-brown and scaly. Mature Loblolly pines are ...more

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Pine trees of North Carolina

USDA PLANTS Database Loblolly pine North Carolina distribution map

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.)
Synonym: Pinus australis Michx. f.
Common names: Longstraw, yellow...
Height: 75-120ft
Diameter: 2-2.5 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: moderate
Annual rainfall: 40-60
Soil Needs: infertile, pH 6.0-7.0
Frost Free Days: 250
Minimum Temperature (F): -3
Growth Rate: rapid
Longevity: 400-500 years
State List: AL, AR, FL... more

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3 needles bundled together in a thick case

Bark of Longleaf pine is thick, fissured and has irregular, flaky plates

A native conifer found in the southeastern United States. Living between 400-500 years, Longleaf pine grows up to 120 feet tall and 2.5 feet in diameter. A rapid grower, it is commin for this species to be 40 feet tall in only 20 years. Like most pines, the first few years are spent in a grass stage where it develops a deep and extensive root
...more

Pinus palustris is native to the southern half of North Carolina

Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida Mill.)
Common names: Candlewood, Torch..
Height: 50-80 ft
Diameter: 1-2 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: moderate
Annual rainfall: 37-56
Soil Needs: poor, sandy, dry...
Frost Free Days: 112
Minimum Temperature (F): -43
Growth Rate: rapid
Longevity: moderate
State List: CT, DE, GA, IL, ... more

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Needles are in bundles of 3, are 3 to 5 inches long, and yellowish-green. They are stiff, sharp tipped, can be straight or slightly twisted, and persist on trees for 2 to 3 years. Found in the tops of trees, female cones are oval, 2 to 2.3 inches in length, and have prickles on each scale. They are yellowish-brown to grayish-brown and remain on trees ....more

Pinus rigida is native to scattered counties in western North Carolina

Pond Pine (Pinus serotina Michx)
Synonym:Pinus rigida Mill. ssp.
serotina (Michx.) R.T. Clausen
Height: 180-200 ft
Diameter: 4-6 ft
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: medium
Annual rainfall: 20-80
Soil Needs: infertile, shallow, rocky..
Frost Free Days: 120
Minimum Temperature (F): -38
Growth Rate: rapid
State List: AL, DE, FL, GA, MD...
...more

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Found in swamps, marshes and moist sites, Pond Pine is an important wetland native species. It grows to between 40 and 80 feet tall with an open, rounded, irregular crown. Branches are thick and occasionally, there are needle clusters on the trunk. The scaly, red-brown bark is of medium thickness and is fissured into irregular plates.
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Red Pine (Pinus resinosa Aiton)
Syn: Pinus resinosa Soland.
Common names: Norway Pine..
Height: 50-100 feet
Diameter: 2-3 feet
Showy flower: no
Fall colors: no-evergreen
Drought tolerant: low
Annual rainfall: 20-40
Soil Needs: sandy, pH 5.1-5.5
Frost Free Days: 80
Minimum Temperature (F): -43
Growth Rate: rapid
ENDANGERED in Connecticut,
Illinois, and New Jersey ...more

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A native conifer, Pinus resinosa, averages between 75 and 80 feet but may grow to 200 feet in optimal sites. The largest trunk d.b.h (diameter at breast height) on record is 59.6 inches but the trunk base typically only reaches widths of 2 to 3 feet. Red pines have a single stem, or trunk, that supports a symmetrical, dense, and oval crown that is supported by

...more

Red Pine is native to Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia in the United States. In Canada, it is native to Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

North Carolina Pine page 1, 2

The state distribution maps in the species info boxes below are from the USDA NRCS PLANTS Database at plants.usda.gov. In instances where state specific maps are unavailable, the US distribution map will be used in its place. Also, the PLANTS Database website states "Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens, and confirmed observations. However, not all populations have been documented, so some gaps in the distribution shown above may not be real. Remember that only native and naturalized populations are mapped!"

Pine trees are one of the most varied and widely spread genus of native tree species in North America. From the cold mountains of Alaska to Nova Scotia in the east, from high wind-swept Rocky Mountain cliffs to the fertile Appalachian forests, on seaside borders, swamps, dry foothills, lowlands and everywhere in between, pine trees can be found. Adapted to so many environments, pine trees are hardy survivors in their native habitat. The pine trees of North America were used by Native Americans for treatments of respiratory ailments, in canoe building and even as food. Today native pines are one of the most valuable commercial timber sources and continue to be used for construction, furniture, pulpwood, land management and more.