Pinus serotina

Michx.

Pinaceae Potential hazards — see below 1,468 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Pinus serotina, the pond pine, black bark pine, bay pine, marsh pine, or pocosin pine, is a pine tree found along the Southeastern portion of the Atlantic coastal plain of the United States, from southern New Jersey south to Florida and west to southern Alabama. Pond pine distribution may be starting to spread west towards Mississippi and Tennessee.

Description

Medium-growth evergreen tree reaching 30m tall. Year-round foliage with seeds ripening January to February. Monoecious and wind-pollinated. Grows in light sandy and medium loamy soils with good drainage; tolerates poor nutrition, drought, and moist conditions. Requires full sun. Hardy to UK zone 8.

Edible Uses

A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of resins released from the pulpwood.

Traditional Uses

Seeds, Nuts, Needles - tea, Bark - flour,

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The turpentine derived from pine resin is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient, and vermifuge. Taken internally, it is a valuable remedy for kidney and bladder complaints, and is used both internally and as a rub or steam bath for rheumatic conditions. It also benefits the respiratory system, making it useful against diseases of the mucous membranes and complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza, and TB. Externally, it treats skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, and boils, and is applied as liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths, or inhalers.

Known Hazards

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people.

Where It Grows

NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (New Jersey, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia)

Cultivation

Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils. Established plants tolerate drought. Not very hardy in Britain. This species is possibly no more than a form of P. rigida. Other reports say that it is closely related to P. rigida but distinct, and is less hardy than that species. A very rare tree in Britain, a specimen in Sussex was 9 metres tall in 1960. The cones are 5 - 6cm long, they ripen in their second year and open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree. The open cones are long-persistent on the tree. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the amount of plants that can grow under the trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation

Sow seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe, or in late winter if necessary. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°C can improve germination of stored seed. Plant seedlings into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them through their first winter or two. Because plants have a very sparse root system, early transplanting is important for good establishment. Trees should be moved to their final positions when small — between 30 and 90cm — though in practice planting out at around 5–10cm tall works well, provided a thorough weed-excluding mulch is used. Larger transplants establish poorly, putting on little growth for several years, which also compromises root development and wind resistance. Cuttings can be taken, but this method only works on trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot attached. Disbudding the shoots a few weeks before taking cuttings can improve success. Cuttings are generally slow to grow away.

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles. The needles contain terpene, which is released by rain and negatively affects the germination of some plants, including wheat. This species is a commercial source of turpentine. Oleo-resins are present in all pine species but are often insufficient for economical extraction; they are obtained by tapping the trunk or by destructive distillation of the wood, with warmer-region trees giving higher yields. Turpentine makes up an average of 20% of the oleo-resin and is separated by distillation for use as a solvent, in varnish-making, and medicinally. The remaining rosin is used on violin bows and in sealing wax and varnish. Pitch from the resin is used for waterproofing and wood preservation. The wood is coarse-grained, soft, heavy, very resinous, and brittle, weighing 49lb per cubic foot, and is occasionally used as a general timber.

Production

A pine tree.

Synonyms

Pinus alopecuroides Gordon [Invalid]and others

References (1)

Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 663