30 Common Trees 



SCRUB PINE 



Pinus virginiana. Miller 



THE Scrub Pine is a pioneer tree. It is among the first 

 trees to march out and reclaim abandoned fields and 

 other waste places. It is unfortunate in its common name, 

 which implies that it is inferior and undesirable. This 

 is incorrect, for each year its wood is used more extcnsvely 



SCRUB PINE 

 One-half natural size. 



for pulp, shipping crates, and general construction work, 

 and locally it is used as a Christmas tree. 



The leaves occur in pairs. They are 1 ^ to 3 inches 

 long, twisted, spread widely from each other. No other 

 Ohio pine has such short, twisted, widely spread and uni- 

 formly distributed leaves. 



The cones are narrow, conical, sharp-pointed, 2 to 3 inches 

 long, persist for several years. The cone-scales bear slender 

 prickles. 



The twigs are smooth, purplish, tough, usually wavy. 

 On older trunks the bark peels off in thin scales, giving a 

 ragged appearance. It is smoother and redder than that of 

 any other native Ohio pine. 



The Scrub Pine is found from southeastern New York, 

 northern New Jersey, north-central Pennsylvania and south- 

 eastern Ohio, south to Georgia and Alabama and west to 

 Indiana and Texas. This tree is confined to the unglaciated 

 section of southeastern Ohio, where it locally occurs in pure 

 stands. This tree prefers the rolling uplands between the 

 mountains and the lowlands. In Ohio it is common on 

 ridges and lower slopes with southern and western exposure. 



This tree does not become a forest giant. It usually 

 reaches a height of 30 to 40 feet and a diameter of 18 inches. 

 The largest specimen found in the northern part of its 

 range was 82 feet high and 28 inches in diameter at breast- 

 high. 



