A small- to medium-sized pine tree with a scrubby, irregular growth habit.
Leaves needles, ¾–1½ inches long, in bundles of two; stiff, twisted and dull dark green.
Bark thin, reddish-brown to dark gray, breaking into scaly plates.
Twigs orangish-brown to reddish-brown, often with a white waxy coating; turning gray to reddish brown with age.
Conifers do not technically "flower"; pollen is shed March–May.
Fruits cones, 1¼–2 inches long; tan, light brown or yellow-brown; narrowly ovoid; curved or arched; scales not shiny, mostly without spines but sometimes with a small, curved spine near the tip. Cones usually remain closed on the tree for many years.