Trees make interesting silhouettes on the horizon, and it is fun to try to identify trees by their forms. With identification, it is easy to imagine what you would see if you were under the tree, looking closely. One tree that can often be found this way is the shortleaf pine, Pinus echinata. While other pines characteristically have a more domed crown, this tree has a small, open, and more pyramidal appearance. Its shorter needles give it a thinner texture. The shortleaf pine is one of the more important and easier to identify southern pines, and its silhouette is only part of the story.
In 2010, a shortleaf pine in Fernbank forest in Atlanta, GA was measured at 134 feet tall. It had a circumference of 81 inches. Typically, a shortleaf pine will grow to a height of 80 to 100 
feet. It sheds lower branches forming a clear trunk. The shortleaf pine develops a deep tap root, and it is one of the few pines that can sprout from the root collar if the upper stem is killed by fire or severed. Seedlings develop a J-shaped crook near the ground surface, with auxillary and other buds in the root collar that begin to grow if needed. This can occur until the stem diameter is about 8 inches. Because the shortleaf pine can persist when subjected to such trauma and it can grow in a wide range of soil and site conditions, it has the widest geographic range of any southern yellow pine. It is found in well-drained, upland sites from southern New York state to northern Florida, and west to Texas and Oklahoma. It is not found in the Mississippi River valley or the coastal areas.
Bark on the tree is reddish-brown, platy and scaly. Resin pockets appear on the surfaces of the plates like tiny volcanoes.
Needles on the shortleaf pine are only 3 to 5 inches long, and this is why the tree is also known as shortstraw pine. The needles appear in fascicle bundles of 2, and rarely 3. They are dark green, slender, and twisted. Interestingly, needles may be found sticking out of areas of the bole or trunk, and out of areas of the branches. These are called watersprouts. Waterspouts may be seen in a picture below.
Cones on the shortleaf pine are 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long, are egg-shaped, and have prickles. 
Stems attaching the cones to branches are very small. The cones persist on the tree more than one year. Most people consider these small cones cute, and they are sometimes decorated to make Christmas ornaments.
The shortleaf pine is included by the wood industry in the southern yellow pine group. This group also includes the slash pine, the longleaf pine, and the loblolly pine. Southern yellow pines are extensively used as lumber, plywood, and veneers in home construction, and as beams, railroad ties, and utility poles in heavy construction. They are also used for pulpwood in the paper industry. The shortleaf pine is considered one of the most important southern pines.
When I was young, I went to a place where a tornado had gone through the day before. I remember seeing a pine tree there with several needles sticking out of the trunk, and marveling at how I thought the force of the wind must have blown them into the tree in this odd manner. Now I think the pine could have been a shortleaf, and the needles were waterspouts. If I had known more about the shortleaf pine, I might have judged this situation differently. Many characteristics can aid in the identification of this tree. The crown is small, pyramidal and open. Seedlings have a J-shaped crook just under the surface. Bark has resin pockets on its surface. Needles are 3 to 5 inches long and appear in fascicle bundles of 2 and rarely 3. Watersprouts of needles are often found sticking out of areas of the bole or limbs. Cones are 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long, are egg-shaped, and have prickles. Because of these many characteristics, the shortleaf pine is one of the easier southern pines to identify.
