Pitch Pine
Posted on in Recent Sightings by Hawk Mountain
Activity on the Mountain has slowed down as the weather gets colder, but the conifer trees are thriving. One species that can be found in the Native Habitat Garden and along the cliff faces of the Lookout Trail is the Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida). Native to eastern North America, pitch pines can be found on mountains and in coastal swamps, preferring to grow in rocky or sandy soil. They grow 40-70 feet tall and will have scaly, reddish-brown bark with thick, gnarled, twisting branches. Their long needles grow in clusters of three.
Photo by Laura Berry.