Pitlolly Pine (Pinus rigida x taeda)

An evergreen tree from the Pine Family (Pinaceae)

Pitlolly Pine, a hybrid of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) and Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda), combines the cold hardiness, drought tolerance, and vigor of Pitch Pine with the larger mature size, heat tolerance, moist soil tolerance, straighter trunk, and vigor of Loblolly Pine. This hybrid is being introduced as a pine that will grow just about anywhere in the state of Ohio and in almost any soil, for all purposes - erosion control, evergreen screen, wildlife refuge, and possibly even logging.

Estimates of mature size are 60 feet tall by 40 feet wide. As a member of the Pine Family, it is related to other Spruces, as well as the Firs, Larches, Pines, and Hemlocks.

Planting Requirements - Pitlolly Pine prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soils, but adapts to dry soils or those of moderate moisture. It is moderately tolerant of salt spray and pollution, does well during summer drought, and grows in full sun to partial sun in zones 4 to 7.

Potential Problems - Pitlolly Pine, as a new introduction, has not been extensively evaluated for diseases and pests. It can be expected to be subject to some of the same problems that plague Pines when it is put under very stressful conditions.

Leaf Identification Features

Pitlolly Pine has three needles per bundle, like both of its parents. Its branchlets are densely covered with long needles that are yellowish-green to dark green in color.

Other Identification Features

Pitlolly Pine has cones that are fairly long, with recurved prickles on the backside of their scales.

They sometimes occur singly on the scaly twigs in the canopy.

They often occur in whorls of three to five around the branches and trunk, a trait that carries over from Pitch Pine.

The immature bark of Pitlolly Pine is distinctly scaly and red, but the more mature scaly bark has a gray outer bark with a red-brown interior bark.