FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Tufts of twigs and needles often found growing from trunks, especially after fires. Of the pines, pond pine is the most tolerant of wet conditions.
Synonym(s): Pinus rigida
Description: Medium-sized evergreen tree, with a gnarled appearance.
Leaves: Needles 10 to 20 cm long, usually in bundles of 3, growing in all directions.
Flowers/Fruit: Top-shaped closed cones remain on the tree for several years. Pollen released in April; cones mature in August. Fire forces cones to open and release seed.
Habit and Range: Found in acidic, peat-based soils of pocosins and in wet flats along lake edges, mainly in the Coastal Plain.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Pinus serotina (pond pine) is easily confused with Pinus taeda (loblolly pine) which has longer cones. Pinus serotina is best distinguished by rounded cones almost as wide as long, as well as a general crooked appearance.
Click here to view Pinus taeda.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
