Pinus rigida (Pitch pine)

Pinus rigida Mill.

Pitch pine

Pitch pine is native to eastern North America.

Plants: These trees are often relatively small and oddly shaped, about 40–60′ (12–18 m), but they can reach 100′ (30 m). Bark is dark and scaly when the plant is young, becoming scaly, peelable plates that are light brown or red brown in mature trees. On high mountains, these may be low mat-forming shrubs. These trees regenerate well from fires.

Leaves: Needles are 2–5″ (6–13 cm) long, in fascicles (bundles) of three (rarely 5), yellow-green or green, twisted. At 1/32″ (1 mm) or more, the needles are quite thick, compared to those of other pines. Tufts of needles occur on the trunk, and these help the trees regenerate after fires.

Fruits: Cones are 1–3½″ (3–9 cm) in size. Male cones are produced at the base of the current year’s growth and are often more abundant on low branches. Female cones are more common on upper branches and mature in the fall of the second year following pollination. Cones have downcurved prickles.

Habitats: Dry acidic sandly uplands to swampy lowlands; tolerates very poor soils.

For further information, see the Pinus comparison tables.

From Britton, Nathaniel Lord, and Brown, Addison, An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions, 1913. Scanned for the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.

Online References:

Carolina Nature

Wikipedia

References:

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 24

7/2/2010 · Stansbury Mill Rd, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (48 × 32 cm)

5/29/2014 · Bemis Rd., Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 15″ (25 × 37 cm)

8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

4/15/2021 · Brunswick Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)

7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 6 × 10″ (16 × 24 cm)

5/22/2024 · Higgins Mountain, Georgetown, Maine

9/14/2023 · Nature Conservancy Access Trail, Sprague Pond, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

3 needles · 10/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashua, New Hampshire

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain

3/9/2012 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm)

9/17/2023 · Sprague Pond Preserve, Basin Preserve, Phippsburg, Maine

6/20/2010 · Blue Hill Reservation, Milford, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

5/26/2016 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts

5/22/2024 · Higgins Mountain, Georgetown, Maine

8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)

Baby cones. · 9/16/2016 · Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Tr, Bar Harbor, Maine

7/2/2010 · Stansbury Mill Rd, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 4 × 2½″ (10 × 6.7 cm)

4/15/2021 · Brunswick Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine ID is uncertain

9/18/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine ID is uncertain

2/18/2012 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

3/9/2012 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Baby cones. · 9/16/2016 · Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Tr, Bar Harbor, Maine

7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

5/29/2014 · Bemis Rd., Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (16 × 21 cm)

6/20/2010 · Blue Hill Reservation, Milford, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 1 × 2′ (41 × 62 cm) ID is uncertain

10/31/2023 · Ridgewell Preserve, Phippsburg, Maine

8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

This is a “coalesced domed bog”—a peat moss bog that is higher and drier than most. · 8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine

9/8/2020 · Brunswick Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

9/8/2020 · Brunswick Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm)

2/13/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm)

4/30/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)

9/16/2016 · Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail, Bar Harbor, Maine

I have never seen a tree like this one. · 9/24/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts ID is uncertain

6/26/2024 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

9/8/2020 · Brunswick Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm)

5/22/2024 · Higgins Mountain, Georgetown, Maine

9/18/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine ID is uncertain

4/30/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

11/10/2024 · Bonyun Preserve, Westport Island, Maine

4/24/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm)

8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4½″ (16 × 12 cm)

Baby cones. · 9/16/2016 · Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Tr, Bar Harbor, Maine

11/10/2024 · Bonyun Preserve, Westport Island, Maine

6/26/2024 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

8/6/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 5″ (16 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

7/2/2010 · Stansbury Mill Rd, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 3 × 2½′ (97 × 77 cm)

I have never seen a tree like this one. · 9/24/2009 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts ID is uncertain

7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)

9/16/2016 · Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail, Bar Harbor, Maine

7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 10 × 9″ (25 × 22 cm)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain

7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)

11/5/2009 · Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

9/8/2020 · Brunswick Town Commons, Brunswick, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

2/18/2012 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts

4/24/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain

8/24/2023 · Morse Mountain, Phippsburg, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

5/26/2016 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts

11/10/2024 · Bonyun Preserve, Westport Island, Maine

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Coniferophyta	Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs)
Class	Pinopsida	Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews
Order	Pinales	Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others
Family	Pinaceae	Pine family: cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces
Genus	Pinus	Latin for “pine”
Species	rigida	From Latin rigida, for the stiff needles

About plant names...

Range: Zones 4-7:

About this map...

Pinus rigida description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.