Search Fact Sheets Virginia Tech Dendrology

pitch pine Pinaceae Pinus rigida Mill. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet play symbol: PIRI
Leaf: Evergreen needles, 2 1/2 to 5 inches long, with three twisted needles per fascicle, yellow-green to green.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males cylindrical, red to yellow, in large clusters at twig tips; females yellow to red, with small, curved scales.
Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 2 to 4 inches long, light brown in color; umbo is armed with a short, stout prickle; cones are often persistent for many years; maturing in fall.
Twig: Orange-brown and moderately stout; buds narrowly ovoid, light gray-brown.
Bark: Dark and scaly when young, developing red-brown or yellow-brown thick flat plates with deep furrows; sprouts of needles may be present.
Form: Extremely variable; short and poorly formed on poor sites, but can be a straight, medium sized tree reaching 80 feet tall on better sites; epicormic sprouting is common.
 Looks like: loblolly pine - shortleaf pine - pond pine - Table Mountain pine

pitch pine leaf image
pitch pine flower image
pitch pine fruit image
pitch pine twig image
pitch pine bark image
pitch pine form image
pitch pine map image

Additional Range Information: Pinus rigida is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Wood
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information