Pinecones Of Pitch Pine

November 25, 2025

Pinecones of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida), which are usually between 2 to 4 inches long. Its bundles of needles are called fascicles, each of these fascicles normally contain 3 thick, twisted needles ranging in size from 2.5 to 5 inches long. These needles sometimes will emerge directly from the trunk rather than from branches (called epicormic growth). The only other pine tree that has this characteristic is the Pond Pine (Pinus serotina).

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.