Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata)

 

There is one shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) in the arboretum collection. It is approximately 30 years old. In October 1997, two trees were purchased from Coyote Creek Nursery in southeast Louisiana. The following month, they were planted near the Student Union Building. Today, one tree remains.

The shortleaf pine is pictured center. It grows next to the sidewalk that runs between the Student Union Building and Cline Hall Dormitory.

The thin, flat plates on the trunk have a reddish tint.

And here we see the work of the yellow-bellied sap sucker (Sphyrapicus varius). There is a fairly straight, diagonal line of holes drilled across the trunk. At least the holes aren't actively weeping.

All of the limbs on the west side of the trunk have detached and falled off, presumably because they were heavily shaded by the nearby water oak (Quercus  nigra). The remaining lower limbs hang toward the open sidewalk, in full sun. 

Luckily this tree still has lower branches so that we can examine fresh spring-time twigs. Here we see reproductive activity. Shortleaf pines are monoecious, which means they have both male and female parts on the same tree. In this photo, we see a cluster of the pollen-producing catkins, and they are not open yet.

This twig was snipped without the aid of a ladder.

Shortleaf can be identified by the "short" needles that typically come in duos.

These needles measure less than 3 inches. By comparison, our loblolly (Pinus taeda) needles measure 7 inches long, and loblolly pines have three needles per bundle. 

Needles were removed so we could examine the catkins. According to Dr. Becky Barlow at Auburn University, catkins form in the spring while cones develop a few months later, higher in the tree. Catkins are a yearly product, while cones take two years to develop. A healthy, mature tree will therefore have staggered cohorts of pollen and cones.

At the current time, the catkins measure less than half an inch long. They will grow larger before releasing pollen.

USDA NRCS page on Shortleaf Pine

USDA Forest Service Southern Research documentation 

NC State University Gardener Page on Shortleaf Pine

The Shortleaf Pine Initiative

Tree of the Week: Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata)

By and large, the weather was very pleasant March through April, with regular rains and 70-degree days. We had nice spring weather. Now that it's the middle of May, things have changed: over the past couple of weeks we have had negligible amounts of rain and 90-degree days. Tomorrow is expected to be another hot one.

During these hot and dry days it's good to think about those hardy native trees that are best adapted to survive the sometimes-grueling Louisiana summers. The shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) is one such specimen. This tree is suited to a wide variety of soil types and it can withstand a little drought, and seems to prefer drier conditions. There are two individual shortleaf pines in the arboretum, for your inspection.

The two shortleaf pines are pictured on either side of the sidewalk. The tall, slender trunks should be discernible but the evergreen foliage blends into the background. In October 1997, the trees were acquired from Coyote Creek Nursery, located in southeastern Louisiana. The little trees were planted the following month. The photo above illustrates their tolerance for different growing conditions. The two trees are approximately the same size, even though one is growing in an irrigated grassy area while the other is growing outside of the irrigation zone and without ground covering.

The tree outside of the irrigation zone seems to be faring a little better. The trunk is certainly straighter. It's pictured above. The Student Union Building is pictured in the background. This is the western edge of the arboretum, on a slope.

The short leaves measure under four inches. They are short compared to the loblolly pine needles.

The needles grow in pairs. Needle length varies. Some leaves are approximately 3.5 inches.

Other leaves are closer to 2.5 inches.

The egg-shaped pine cones are hanging from the branches. Cones can be found on the ground, too.

This cone was removed from a low-hanging branch. It's approximately 2 inches in length.

This particularly conical cone was found on the ground and measures approximately 3 inches.

New, green cones are developing while the old ones remain on the branches.

The bark is reddish-brown and rough. The plates are smoother, flatter, and thinner compared to loblolly pine bark.

You can find more pictures of the arboretum's shortleaf pines here.

For more information about this species consult the following:
United States Department of Agriculture
U.S. Forest Service
Virginia Tech Dendrology
NC State Extension 

Pinus echinata