Plants of the Pines
The ground that makes up the pinelands and the whole pine barrens is a sand-based soil that is very acidic, having a low pH and minimal nutrient content. Although many other species would never thrive in this soil, hundreds of unique plant species have made the pinelands its native home. These hardy plants adapted to live in the pine barrens' poor soil, and can even protect themselves from predators.
Berries and Shrubs
Many berry bushes in the pine barrens grow thorns to repel predators. In the pines, you may also notice that a lot of berry bushes grow without thorns. These thornless berry bushes are a source of nutrition for wildlife. You'll also find shrubs including sheep laurels and mountain laurels.
Trees
The pine barrens is a huge forest with soil that supports an abundance of pitch pine, Atlantic white cedar, and many different species of oak. Most of these pitch pine trees are narrow with less branches near the bottom and most of branches on the top half. Franklin Parker Preserve, Atlantic White Cedar Preserve, and Brendan T. Byrne State Forest hosts many of the cedar branches. These cedar branches pack a dense and swampy array of tall and narrow trees that are dense and close together.
