Tag Archives: Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)

Hoarfrost And Pitch Pine

January 29, 2026

A picture from Monday of this week, January 26th. First thing that morning, I looked out hoping to find trees coated with beautiful ice. Instead I saw something just as lovely but more subtle, hoarfrost.

Hoarfrost happens when surfaces, such as these Pitch Pine needles (Pinus rigida), become colder than 32°, the freezing temperature. Water vapor then hits the very cold surfaces and the water in the air immediately becomes ice crystals, skipping the liquid phase. The ice crystals create a unique appearance, forming structures that are needle or feather like.

If you would like to read more, or see more of my photos of gorgeous hoarfrost, check out: brendaclem.com/hoarfrost/ which I put together a few years ago.

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Pitch Pine Cones And Needles

These are the cones and needles of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida). A small to medium sized tree. The needles are 3 to 5 inches long and quite stiff and sharp. They are in bundles, or fascicles, of 3. The cones are nicely round with sharp points at the end of each scale.

The tree is found in a small portion of eastern North America from central Maine south to Georgia west to Kentucky. It’s found in locations that other species would find difficult to survive in with acidic, sandy, or low-nutrient soils.

A characteristic of Pitch Pine that I find really cool is called epicormic growth. It has needles growing not just from branches but also from the main trunk. Much like errant flowers on Redbud (Cercis canadensis).

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