Pitch Pine

Also known as Rigid Pine, Torch Pine, Black Pine

Pitch pines shape the character of coastal pine barrens with their twisted trunks, irregular crowns, and thick, fire-resistant bark. Uniquely adapted to frequent blazes, these resilient conifers produce epicormic sprouts directly from their trunks and stump roots after fire destroys their canopy. Their heavy, resinous wood burned fiercely in colonial tar kilns and supplied early Americans with durable lumber and lamp fuel.