Trees to 37m; trunk to 1. diam., straight; crown narrowly rounded. Bark light red-brown, furrowed and cross-checked into irregularly rectangular, scaly plates. Branches spreading-ascending; twigs moderately slender (to thick), orange-to red-brown, aging darker brown, rough. Buds ovoid-acuminate, red-brown, to ca. 2cm, resinous; scale margins fringed. Leaves 2 per fascicle, straight or slightly twisted, brittle, breaking cleanly when bent, deep yellow-green, all surfaces with narrow stomatal bands, margins serrulate, apex short-conic, acute; sheath 1--2.5cm, base persistent. Pollen cones ellipsoid, ca. 15mm, dark purple. Seed cones maturing and opening in 2 years, spreading, symmetric, ovoid before opening, broadly ovoid to nearly globose when open, 3.5--6cm, light red-brown, nearly sessile; apophyses slightly thickened, slightly raised, transversely low-keeled; umbo central, centrally depressed, unarmed. Seeds ovoid; body 3--5mm, brown; wing to 20mm. 2 n =24.
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Tree to 40 m; bark becoming light red-brown, with scaly plates; winter buds ca 1.5 cm, the scales red-brown with white-fringed margins, not very resinous; lvs in 2’s, persisting 4–5 years, dark green, 9–16 cm, snapping cleanly when bent; cones spreading, conic-ovoid, 4–8 cm, the apophysis thickened, the umbo smooth and spineless; seeds 1.5–2 cm. Dry, sandy or rocky soil; Nf. and N.S. to se. Man., s. to Conn., Pa., n. Ill., and Minn., and in the mts. to W.Va.
Mixed conifer-broad-leaved forest and bordering on the boreal conifer forest, growing at elevations from 200-1,300 metres. The best stands are on light sandy well-drained, slightly acid soils, also growing on other soils including poor ones.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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