Text Box: Habitat: Usually found in dry shallow soil. Text Box: Pinus echinata P. Mill.; Shortleaf Pine, Yellow Pine Text Box: N C STATE UNIVERSITY

Resin ducts appear on inner surface of the bark. These ducts can help to distinguish  it from Loblolly when the tree is tall and needle examination is unfeasible.

The longer Pine needles on the right are from Pinus taeda and usually occur in bundles of 3’s. The shorter needles on the left are from Pinus echinata and usually occur in bundles of 2’s.

9 cm

15 cm

5 cm

10 cm

The bark breaks into thin plates and is not as deeply ridged as Pinus taeda.

The cones of shortleaf pine are smaller than loblolly’s. Also, P. echinata’s cones have short  thin prickles on the scales, whereas P. taeda’s prickles are more stout. The cones of both are held almost sessile to the twig.