pitch pine Pinaceae Pinus rigida Mill. 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 reachin 80 feet tall on better sites; epicormic sprouting is common. Looks like: loblolly pine - shortleaf pine - pond pine - Table Mountain pine Additional Range Information: Pinus rigida is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting pitch pine. More: Wood External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics Landowner Factsheet USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson