Pinus pungens - Common Bonsai,Conifer - Hickory Pine, Mountain Pine, Prickly Pine, Table Mountain Pine Page

Pinus pungens, also known as Hickory Pine, Mountain Pine, Prickly Pine, and Table Mountain Pine, is a small pine tree native to the Appalachian Mountains in the United States. This tree prefers dry conditions and mostly grows on rocky slopes, favoring higher elevations. It has a rounded, irregular shape and its needles are in bundles of two, occasionally three, with a yellow-green to mid-green color. This pine tree releases pollen early to minimize hybridization, and sapling trees can bear cones in as little as 5 years. Its cones are very short-stalked, ovoid, and pale pinkish to yellowish buff, with scales bearing a stout and sharp spine. Pinus pungens is popularly known as the Lonesome Pine from the novel The Trail of the Lonesome Pine by John Fox. It is commonly found as single scattered trees or small groves and needs periodic disturbances for seedling establishment. Despite its modest size, it plays an important role in the forest ecosystem and serves as a host to several wildlife species.