[4] Axillary and other buds form near the crook and initiate growth if the upper stem is killed by fire or is severed.

[5] The bark has resin pockets (sometimes called pitch patches), which form small depressions, less than 1 millimetre (1⁄32 in) in diameter.

It is believed the roots are this long due to the wide range of the species that consequently experiences varying climate.

[2] Shortleaf pine can be found in a variety of soils including, stiff clay, gravel, and sand.

It is found from southernmost New York, south to northern Florida, west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma.

Most shortleaf pines grow in soils that have low organic matter in subsurface horizons and are relatively moist.

Fire reduces competition with different tree species which increases shortleaf pine survival, and it also prepares the soil for regeneration.

[12] With frequent fire, the species can occur in savanna environments, with a very diverse understory and prime habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker.

In the past, it was used in building ship masts, and during the Revolutionary War and into the 1800s, it was a major timber source for homes.

[16] There has been a 53% decline of the shortleaf pine since 1980 due to a lack of disturbance required for regeneration of the species, and impacts of farming and extensive logging.

This plan has a primary focus on restoring woodlands that were either dominated or co-dominated by shortleaf pines in the past.

It is intended to be utilized by natural resource managers, wildlife and conservation biologists, and foresters, as well as policymakers and landowners.

[18] According to NatureServe, the Pinus echinata conservation status is "critically imperiled" in New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

The C value of the shortleaf pine, or the amount of DNA of a species chromosome, is 21.73 pg when measured utilizing laser flow cytometry.