Editing Table mountain pine (section)

== Ecology ==
[[File:Pinus-pungens-04.JPG|thumb|upright=0.9|Young female cone]]
''Pinus pungens'' prefers dry conditions and is mostly found on rocky slopes, rocky knobs, and peaks, favoring higher elevations, from {{convert|300–1760|m}} altitude. It commonly grows as single scattered trees or small groves, not in large forests like most other pines, and needs periodic disturbances for seedling establishment. Throughout the Appalachian Mountain range, ''P. pungens'' is a component of conifer-dominated communities along combination with other pine species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Brose |first=Patrick H. |date=2017 |title=Characteristics, Histories, and Future Succession of Northern Pinus pungens Stands |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44840306 |journal=The American Midland Naturalist |volume=177 |issue=1 |pages=126–142 |issn=0003-0031}}</ref> The three tallest known ''Pinus pungens'' are in [[Paris Mountain State Park]], South Carolina; they are {{convert|26.85 to 29.96|m|ftin}} tall.<ref name=":0" />