Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)

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The name "Eastern Deciduous Forest" has the conotation that all of the trees are deciduous which is far from the truth. Conifers can, and do, play an important role in the Eastern Deciduous Forest under the right soil conditions, particularly sandy, rocky, or acidic soils.

Pitch Pine is one such conifer. Pitch Pine is found in the northern half of the Eastern Deciduous Forest and is the dominant tree species is areas of sandy soils. Some particularly large stands of Pitch Pine are found in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, Long Island, Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and in the vicinity of Albany, New York. Pitch Pines can grow to 50 or 60 feet in height, but under the worst conditions in very arid, sandy soils they can be stunted such as the one in the picture on the left.

All pine trees have needles in bundles. Pitch Pine has three needle per bundle, although other pine species have differing numbers of needles in a bundle. The fruit of pine trees is distinctive. The pine cone of Pitch Pine is from 3 to 5 inches long, brown when mature and composed of a number of cone scales each tipped with a short, hooked spine.

Pitch Pine is highly adapted to fire. The cones may stay closed on the trees for up to 10 years, opening only when fire passes through the stand. The opening cones seed the newly opened land for the next generation of Pitch Pine. Pitch Pine, unlike most conifers, can sprout from the base of the tree if the tree has been destroyed by the fire. An ecosystem whose dominance in a region is promoted by fire is called a Fire Disclimax.