Shortleaf Pine has the widest natural range of any pine in the eastern United States, growing from New York to Texas across a variety of soil types and elevations. It is one of the most fire-adapted pines in the East, able to resprout from the base after fire — a trait rare among North American pines. The trees were heavily logged in the 19th and early 20th centuries but have rebounded substantially. They provide important habitat for the Brown-headed Nuthatch and other pine-associated birds.
Habitat
Well-drained upland soils, dry ridges, and mixed pine-hardwood forests across the central and eastern US.
Diet
Seeds consumed by pine warblers, brown-headed nuthatches, red crossbills, and small mammals.
How common
Common
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