Shortleaf Pine is an evergreen tree that may grow 80 to 100 feet tall. The tree has 3- to 5-inch slender and flexible needles in clusters of 2 or 3. The fascicle sheath is persistent. The bark is scaly and dark on young trees. As the tree ages, flat scales which reveal a yellowish color when removed develop. The tree produces both a pale purple male cone and a pale pink female cone. The Shortleaf Pine grows best in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. It will tolerate some light shade. It will also tolerate a wide range of soils but prefers sandy loams. Fire Risk: This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Healthy, well-maintained Shortleaf pine trees usually have few problems. Pine beetles and weevils are potential insect pests. This tree is susceptible to wind damage. More information on Pinus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
24-60 feet; more than 60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 80 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Acicular; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The Shortleaf Pine has slender, flexible, dark bluish-green needles (3-5" long) that appear in bundles of two or three. It begins to drop needles at the end of its second season, some needles remaining until its fifth year.
Flower detail
No flowers
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
The symmetrical, ovoid, short-stalked cones (1.5 to 2.5" long) are usually not produced until the tree reaches 20 years of age. The tip of each scale has a short spine. This tree produces both a pale purple male cone and a pale pink female cone that releases seeds from fall to winter. Once empty, the cones stay attached to the tree for many years. Fruit displays from September to October.
Bark color
Black; Dark Gray; Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Rough, dark grey to black bark when young and reddish or yellowish-brown to dark brown when mature, furrowed into irregular flat, scaly plates with small resin pores dotted along scaly plates.
Stem detail
Comparatively slender branches to other pine species.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern United States
Distribution
Southeastern NY west to eastern OK south to southern TX east to northern FL
Wildlife value
It provides winter cover. This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. This plant also supports Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon) which have one flight from March-June. Squirrels, other small mammals, and birds eat the seeds.
Attracts
Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source; Wind Break
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Uses (ethnobotany)
Use as Lumber, plywood, even taproots are used for pulpwood. Also used to make turpentine.
#shelter for wildlife #evergreen #deer resistant #conifer #well-drained soil #fire high flammability #Braham Arboretum #NC native #food source fall #sandy soils tolerant #loamy soils tolerant #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #larval host plant #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #Audubon #imperial moth #eastern pine elfin butterfly #nighttime garden #full sun tolerant #wind damage prone #winter garden #wildlife friendly #winter cover #screen
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers; Pitch Gall Midges; Pine Bark Beetles; Nantucket Pine Tip Moth; Powdery Pine Needle Aphid; Redheaded Pine Sawfly; Pine Engraver Beetles; Southern Pine Sawyer; Deodar Weevil / Eastern Pine Weevil; Southern Pine Beetle
Resistant to
Deer
Particularly resistant to
The Shortleaf pine is moderately resistant to deer damage.