Spruce Pine
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| Spruce Pine Conservation status: Secure | ||||||||||||||
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The Spruce Pine (Pinus glabra) is a tree found on the coastal plains of the southern United States, from southern South Carolina south to northern Florida and west to southern Louisiana. This pine is a straight-growing, medium sized species, attaining heights of 20-35m.
The needles are in bundles of two, and are 5-8cm long. The small, slender cones are 4-6cm long with a minute prickle on the scales.
The Spruce Pine differs markedly from most other pines, in that it does not occur in largely pure pine forests, but is typically found as scattered trees in moist woodland habitats in mixed hardwood forest. An important adaptation it shows to be able to compete successfully in this habitat is greater shade tolerance than other pines.