Twigs: Stout, brittle, rough, angled in cross-section, golden-brown. Buds egg-shaped, about ½″ long, resinous, red-brown.
Fruit: A cone, 1½″-3½″ long with short stiff prickles, nearly stalkless, often remains attached for 5 years or more after ripening.
General: Thick, rough, grayish brown bark on older trees. A medium-sized tree. Common on poor, sandy soils and areas where forest fires have killed most other trees. Wood used chiefly for railroad ties, mine props, construction lumber, posts and fuel.
VIRGINIA PINE
(Pinus virginiana)
Leaves: [Evergreen] needles in clusters of 2, twisted, stout, relatively short (1½″-3″ long), not numerous on twigs.
Twigs: Slender, curved, flexible, brown to purple with bluish white coating. Buds egg-shaped, usually less than ½″ long, brown, resinous.
Fruit: A cone, 2″-3″ long, prickles small but sharp, edge of scales with darker bands; usually without a stalk; remains attached for 3 or 4 years.
General: Smooth, thin, reddish brown, scaly bark. A small tree; able to grow on poor, dry soils. Common on abandoned farm lands where shale soils predominate. Usually grows in dense pure stands. Often called scrub pine. Wood used chiefly for paper pulp, fuel and mine props.
