I noticed what I thought was a shortleaf pine as I talked to a teacher co-worker where I work. However, as we walked towards the tree I could see differences from the shortleaf pine. There were more cones on the tree than I would expect, and the ones I saw on the ground differed by appearing almost round with a flat base. Texture of these cones more closely resembled that of a spruce pine. All the needles I examined were in fascicle bundles of 3, not like the shortleaf pine which has needle bundles of 2. The tree’s flaky bark did not have resin pits as does the shortleaf pine. Neither of us had noticed a tree of this type before. Pointing to a much larger round cone that also had a flat base, I said “There’s a cone from another tree I haven’t seen before.” That cone ultimately proved to be a larger cone from
the same tree, persisting from previous years and appearing different because it was grown under the conditions of a different season. This tree was a very unexpected find.
The tree my friend and I found is a pitch pine, Pinus rigida. Other names for this tree are candlewood pine and torch pine. It is native to the eastern United States, reaching from central Maine to northern Georgia. Though it is found as far west as Kentucky, it is most common on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In Georgia, it is principally found on mountain ridges and slopes in the northeastern part of the state but it is also found in moist coves, river valleys and swamps.
The pitch pine adapts in interesting ways to various conditions. When saplings are exposed to flooding they develop lenticels, which are a type of pore, to help them breathe and cope. Flooding is more tolerated by these trees as they grow than by trees that develop in dry areas. Where there are periodic fires, pitch pines in those areas have a larger than normal percentage of serotinous cones. These cones are an effective insulator, protecting the seeds inside from the heat of fire. Cones open to release seeds only when the resin that holds the cone scales closed is melted by a fire’s heat. Fire damage to the trunk or limbs also triggers growth of previously dormant buds that develop into sprouts, branches, needles, and even cones. It may appear odd to see a trunk with these things 
growing out of it. These growths are not as vigorous as normal growth, and usually die after a few years. In some areas, pitch pine persists as a shrub or small tree, unable to thrive as it would if it grew from seedlings. Resprouting appears to be a struggle not to make another tree but to make seeds that can sprout to make another tree.
Pitch pine seedlings grow upward very slowly, focusing first on root structure. They grow only .2 to .4 inch the first year, and rapid growth happens only after the seedling has grown 1 foot. The seedling grows a root crook just below the surface and establishes basal buds there that can sprout if the stem is damaged by cutting or burning. The crook may be established in the first year, or it may take 10 years in suppressed conditions. In fertile, sunny and moist conditions, the pitch pine may grow straight, 50 to 100 feet in height, and 3 feet in diameter. It may live 200 years, and there have been trees reported in southeastern New York that exceed 350 years.
Needles of the pitch pine are 3 to almost 6 inches long, twisted, and dark yellow-green. They occur in fascicles bundles of 3, and stand almost perpendicular to the branch. One way to remember how many needles a pitch pine has is to think baseball: pitch 3 strikes and you’re out. Limbs grow horizontally, and lower limbs shed leaving a small and thick, round-topped head. Damage to limbs or trunk, or even thinning of adjacent trees, may trigger growth of more branches, clumps of needles, and cones. Bark on young trees is very scaly, and it develops with age into broad and flat, red-brown, thin and scaly plates with brownish yellow ridges. It is thickest at the base, where fires are most likely to occur. Trees are anxious to make seeds for reproduction, and seed cones can be found on trees only 3 feet high. On mature trees, they are most commonly observed on upper branches while male cones are most commonly found on lower ones. The cones are wind pollinated. Cones mature in 2 years, and they may remain on the tree for as long as 10 years. They are often produced in clusters, and are held on the tree by barely noticeable stalks which flatten the bases. Cones are almost oval and range in size from 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches long, with different sizes present on the same 
tree. Sharp, curved prickles are at the end of cone scales. Some cones may be serotinous. Seeds are smooth, measure about .2 inch long, and have wings .6 to .8 inches long.
The pitch pine has served useful purposes. In the past, the tree’s resinous pitch has been used to obtain pitch, tar and turpentine. Torches and fire-starting material has been made from stumps. Its resistance to water decay has made it valuable for the construction of boats and water wheels. Today, it is used with other Southern Yellow Pines in heavy construction, and in making plywood, wood pulp, and veneers.
The pitch pine’s response to injury reminds me of something about which I have read but have never observed. There are people who believe many uncooperative flowering and fruiting trees will begin to produce, or will produce more, if the trunk is beat to shock it into survival mode. I doubt I will ever try this and I do not recommend it, but considering how this tree responds to injury, could there be some truth to it? My examination of the pitch pine has left me much to ponder.
