Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) vs. Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana)
Updated January 2nd, 2023These pines are sometimes confused where their ranges overlap, although soil conditions usually favor one over the other. Both can occur in dry uplands, have shorter needles in bundles of 2, reddish bark, and small, persistent cones with similar dimensions. They can usually be easily distinguished by needle length, examination of the bark for the presence of resin pockets, or close examination of the cone scales on open cones. P. echinata ranges farther south and west, tends to occur on ultisols, highly leached soils, and persists longer in forests, whereas P. virginiana ranges farther north, tends to occur on spodosols and inceptisols, and can occur on higher pH soils, but is more restricted to early-successional habitats, persisting long-term only on harsh barrens.
