Thicket/ Shortleaf Pine

COMMON NAME: Shortleaf Pine

OTHER COMMON NAME(S): Yellow Pine, Long-Tag

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pinus echinata

FAMILY: Pinaceae

COMMUNITY: Thicket

STATUS: Native   

LIFESPAN: Woddy tree

HEIGHT: 80 to 100 feet

FLOWERING TIME: Early Spring

FRUITING TIME: none ~ Seeds in cones

DISTRIBUTION: New York to northern Florida ~ Throughout the Coastal Plain and north to Middlesex County ~ Grows in rocky or sandy soil

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Leaves dark green in twos or threes, slender, long (7-13 cm), long sheath ~ Flowers in spring ~ Cones oval, 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long, scales with a small weak prickle, mature in second autumn ~ Bark reddish-brown ¾ to 1 inch thick, broken into irregular plates, dotted with small depressions called resin ducts or blisters

GENERAL INFORMATION: This family of trees, Pinaceae, is commonly called the Pine Tree family.  Pine trees grow in the northern hemisphere in all kinds of environments and represent the world’s most important source of timber.  Pines generally grow tall and straight, making them ideally suited for use as lumber.  There are approximately 100 species of pines in the world; 65 species grow in North America and 36 are native to the United States. In New Jersey, Shortleaf Pine is limited to sandy, rocky, and gravelly uplands of the coastal plain, and is mostly found on dry and sandy acid soils.  The tree is tolerant of shade and self-prunes its branches that do not receive ample sunlight.  Shortleaf Pine is tolerant of infrequent forest fires. The wood from Shortleaf Pine is used for rough construction lumber, pulpwood, boxes, crates and low-grade furniture. Shortleaf Pine often occurs with Pitch Pine and is rarely found in naturally-occurring pure stands.  Since it is one of the most important timber pines of the Southeast, Shortleaf Pine has been used in reforestation efforts throughout that region. Parts of pine trees are edible as candy, cooked vegetable, flour or tea.  The tender new shoots, stripped of their needles and peeled, can be made into candy.  In emergencies the young cones can be boiled and the inner bark can be made into flour.  Chopped fine and steeped in hot water, the fresh needles make a tea rich in vitamins A and C; the light green needles from the spring shoots make the best tea.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.