The Table Mountain pine, an appalachian endemic, grows almost entirely within the range of pitch line, and Virginia Pine, but less frequent. In general, Table Mountain pine occupy sites of Appalachian rocky and shaly mountainous areas from Georgia into Pennsylvania. It is frequently found on ridges of the precipitious gorges that dissect the Blue Ridge Mountains (Table Mountain Pine, ncsu.edu)

Table Mountain pine is unevenly distributed; its range extends from the northern Appalachians in central Pennsylvania southwest to eastern West Virginia and southward into the southern Appalachians, ending on the steep western edge of the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. To the east and south, its ranges include the crest of the eastern escarpment of the prominent Blue Ridge Front with its numerous rocky gorges and torrential mountain streams (Table Mountain Pine, ncsu.edu).

In Pennsylvania, Table Mountain pine grows on substrates of upper silurian and lower devonian rocks. Elsewhere it is known to grow on substrates of the Unicoi, Alligator Back, Loudon, Weverton, Erwin, Pottsville, Chemung, Pocono, Portage, and Hampshire or Catskill Formations. Table Mountain pine is not found over limestone substrates. Although surface rock varies in Table Mountain pine stands in the Great Smoky Mountains, it is often less than 15 percent of total surface cover; however, on narrow ridges, surface rocks can range from 35 to 55 percent or more. In about half the stands bedrock occurs less than 20 inches below the soil surface. Large amounts of gravel and rocks up to 12 inches or more commonly occur in the solum; stone content has been found to range from 29 to 54 percent of air-dry weight (Table Mountain Pine, ncsu.edu).

Some eleven soil series and rough stony land are associated with Table Mountain pine stands. The most common soil series are Ashe, DeKalb, Ramsey, and Porters. In the Great Smoky Mountains, 57 percent of associated soils are Lithic Dystrochrepts, and 43 percent Typic Dystrochrepts of the order Inceptisols. Generally, A-horizon soils contain an average of 61, 28, and 11 percent sand, silt, and clay, respectively. Most of the B-horizon textures are loams and silt loams; silty clay loams occurs infrequently. Litter depth is about 2 inches. Organic matter of the A-horizon averages 5.5 percent, and in the B-horizon 2.5 percent. Water holding capacity in the solum ranges from 5 to 16 percent (Table Mountain Pine, ncsu.edu).

Table Mountain pine can grow over a wide range of elevation. Known extremes are 150 feet in Deleware and 5,780 feet in the Great Smoky Mountains; most often it occurs between 1,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level. In the Great Smoky Mountains, elevation affects the distribution of Table Mountain pine and Table Mountain pine-pitch pine stands. Above 3,480 feet Table Mountain pine pine-pitch pine stands were mostly restricted to south-facing ridges; with increasing elevation, pitch pine decreased in abundance. Dominance of Table Mountain pine stands occured at elevations about 4,270 feet. On typical, the southwest-facing aspect is of critical importance to the presence of Table Mountain pine although the species can and does grow on other aspects. Slopes on wich it occurs in the Great Smoky Mountains average 42 percent (Table Mountain Pine, ncsu.edu).

Image from NCSU dendrology webpage

Needles: Are bundled in two's and are 2 to 3 inches in length. Are dark yellow-green, rigid, and are often twisted (Harlow, p. 101)

Cones:About 3 inches long, ovoid, heavy, the scales armed with conspicuous sharp spurs (Harlow, p.101).

Bark: Plated, reddish brown in color (Harlow, p. 101).

Height: Range from 26 to 39 feet in height (Harlow, p.101).