64. Pitch Pine

Specimen Size: 57.4ft tall, 14in in diameter.

Location: North end of the Chemistry library, against the building itself, south side of Okanagan lane.

Historical Background: The high resin content of the wood in this tree is what has lent it to its current common name. This pitch meant it was a favorite for railroad ties, ship building, and mine timbers due to a tendency to resist decay, however, many crooked and multi trunked individuals have kept the species classified as a low grade timber since the wood from such individuals is generally unusable. The people of the Iroquois confederation, Shinnecock, and Tsalagi (Cherokee) nations all utilized this species. The Iroquois used the pitch to cure burns, cuts, boils, and rheumatism. They and Shinnecock would make a poultice of the bitch to apply to open wounds and abscesses. The Tsalagi would utilized the wood of the pitch pine in the making of Canoes.

Non-native

Native Range: Native to the Northeastern United States from Maine to as far south as Georgia.

Identifying Features: A relatively short pine compared to our own western conifers, the Pitch pine achieves heights of about 65’ (20m), with a very open irregular crown and cylindrical shape. The specimens here on campus are rather sparse, and while foliage in the native range tends to be a bit heavier it is not as thick as some of the other pine species seen on this tour. Needles appear in fascicles of 3, and are very stout and rigid. The bole (trunk) is known for bearing epicormic shoots (shoots stemming from dormant buds between the bark), thus one might see many small branches and twigs emerging from the trunk. The reddish brown cones are small, about  3” (8cm) in length and ovoid.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: A short pine with a cylindrical shape growing to a height of about 65’(20m). Crown is open and irregular and often the trunk is split into multiple leaders or twisted.

2. Leaves: Stout waxy green needles are grouped into fascicles of 3, often twisted. They are rigid and about 5” (13cm) in length, often growing at a right angle to the shoot.

3. Bark: Reddish-brown and coarse, fissured into plates which have still smaller puzzle-piece like scales on them. The bole is known for emitting epicormic shoots, unusual in pines.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Cones are a light brown color, armed, and about 3” (8cm) in length. They are ovoid and subsessile (attached to the twigs almost directly at the base as opposed to being attached via a stalk.