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Pine trees of South Carolina
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.)
  Common names: Northern white pine,
  white pine, soft pine, northern pine...
  Height: 75-100ft
  Diameter: 2-4 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: no
  Annual rainfall: 20-80
  Soil Needs: moist, sandy, pH 4.0-6.5
  Frost Free Days: 90
  Minimum Temperature (F): -33
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: 200-450 years
  State List: AL, AR, CT... more  
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus L.) holds the title of the tallest native conifer in the Northeast. Typically, it grows 75-100 ft tall and in extremely good sites, 150 ft is possible.  Trunk diameter is usually between 2-4 ft.  Eastern White Pine is a
long lived tree, reaching 200 years of age, possibly up to 450 years.  A rapid grower, at 20 years, heights of 40 ft can be expected and at 40 years,                   ...more
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Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.)

  Height: 90-100 ft occasionally 110 ft
  Diameter: 2-3 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: low
  Annual rainfall: 35-65
  Soil Needs: moist, pH 4.0-7.0
  Frost Free Days: 150
  Minimum Temperature (F): -8
  Growth Rate: rapid
  State List:  AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL,
  KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK,
  SC, TN, TX, VA                      ...more                                           
Hailed as the leading commercial timber tree in the southeast United States, the native Loblolly pine grows rapidly with a straight trunk clear of branches.  It reaches 50 feet in just 20 years, and when mature can top 100 feet with a trunk diameter between 2-3 feet.  The bark on young trees is usually dark, blackish-brown and scaly. Mature Loblolly pines are                       ...more                                                    
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Loblolly Pine bark close up
Loblolly Pine Pinus taeda canopy
Pinus strobus is native to northwestern South Carolina
Pinus taeda is native to scattered counties throughout South Carolina
Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.)
Synonym: Pinus australis Michx. f. 
Common names: Longstraw, yellow...
  Height: 75-120ft
  Diameter: 2-2.5 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: moderate
  Annual rainfall: 40-60
  Soil Needs: infertile,  pH 6.0-7.0
  Frost Free Days: 250
  Minimum Temperature (F): -3
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: 400-500 years
  State List: AL, AR, FL...           more  
Photo Gallery
3 needles bundled together in a thick case
Bark of Longleaf pine is thick, fissured and has irregular, flaky plates
A native conifer found in the southeastern United States.  Living between 400-500 years, Longleaf pine grows up to 120 feet tall and 2.5 feet in diameter.  A rapid grower, it is commin for this species to be 40 feet tall in only 20 years.  Like most pines, the first few years are spent in a grass stage where it develops a deep and extensive root
                            ...more
Pinus palustris is native to the south eastern third of the South Carolina
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida Mill.)
  Common names: Candlewood, Torch  
  Height: 50-80 ft
  Diameter: 1-2 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: moderate
  Annual rainfall: 37-56
  Soil Needs: poor, sandy, dry...
  Frost Free Days: 112
  Minimum Temperature (F): -43
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: moderate
  State List: CT, DE, GA, IL,   ... more  
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Needles are in bundles of 3, are 3 to 5 inches long, and yellowish-green.  They are stiff, sharp tipped, can be straight or slightly twisted, and persist on trees for 2 to 3 years.  Found in the tops of trees, female cones are oval, 2 to 2.3 inches in length, and have prickles on each scale.  They are yellowish-brown to grayish-brown and remain on trees               ....more
Pinus rigida is native to a few northwestern counties of South Carolina
Pond Pine (Pinus serotina Michx)
  Synonym:Pinus rigida Mill. ssp.   
  serotina (Michx.) R.T. Clausen
  Height: 180-200 ft
  Diameter: 4-6 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: medium
  Annual rainfall: 20-80
  Soil Needs: infertile, shallow, rocky..
  Frost Free Days: 120
  Minimum Temperature (F): -38
  Growth Rate: rapid
  State List: AL, DE, FL, GA, MD...
                                               ...more
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Found in swamps, marshes and moist sites, Pond Pine is an important wetland native species.  It grows to between 40 and 80 feet tall with an open, rounded, irregular crown.  Branches are thick and occasionally, there are needle clusters on the trunk.  The scaly, red-brown bark is of medium thickness and is fissured into irregular plates. 
                            ...more
Pinus serotina is native to scattered counties in the southeastern portion of South Carolina
Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata Mill.)
  Common names: Yellow pine, Old
  Height: 75-100ft
  Diameter: 2-4 ft
  Showy flower: no
  Fall colors: no-evergreen
  Drought tolerant: no
  Annual rainfall: 20-80
  Frost Free Days: 90
  Minimum Tempurature (F): -33
  Growth Rate: rapid
  Longevity: 200-450 years
  State List: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL,
  KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY,
  OK, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
  
An evergreen native conifer, Shortleaf pine has the widest distribution of any southeastern pine species.  It commonly attains 100 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in diameter.  A straight single trunk supports a narrow, conical to pyramidal or flat topped crown.  It has a deep tap root and lateral roots about 24 inches beneath the surface and is wind firm.  Pinus echinata's   ...more
Photo Gallery
Pinus echinata cones are pyramidal to conical
Pinus echinata bark is rough and  flaky,  furrowed into vertical plates
Pinus echinata seeds have a single wing and are light brown
Pinus echinata is native to predominantly the northwest region and coastal counties as well as scattered populations in central South Carolina
South Carolina Pine page 1, 2
The state distribution maps in the species info boxes below are from the USDA NRCS PLANTS Database at plants.usda.gov.  In instances where state specific maps are unavailable, the US distribution map will be used in its place.  Also, the PLANTS Database website states "Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens, and confirmed observations. However, not all populations have been documented, so some gaps in the distribution shown above may not be real. Remember that only native and naturalized populations are mapped!"
Pine trees are one of the most varied and widely spread genus of native tree species in North America.  From the cold mountains of Alaska to Nova Scotia in the east, from high wind-swept Rocky Mountain cliffs to the fertile Appalachian forests, on seaside borders, swamps, dry foothills, lowlands and everywhere in between, pine trees can be found.  Adapted to so many environments, pine trees are hardy survivors in their native habitat.  The pine trees of North America were used by Native Americans for treatments of respiratory ailments, in canoe building and even as food.  Today native pines are one of the most valuable commercial timber sources and continue to be used for construction, furniture, pulpwood, land management and more.
Search all North American native Pine species here.

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