Younger trees are usually well-formed with a full crown and straight bole. The bark is reddish brown, furrowed and shreddy. The branches are spreading and the trunk occasionally splits into two. The scale-like leaves are found in three's, 1.5 mm long and form stout rounded twigs that are grey green with a gland dot. They are soft, juicy and resinous and posses a bloom, or whitish coat.
Birds play a major role in the distribution of the seeds.
Not only do they carry the seed from the parent tree but they it is also necessary for the seed to be scarified by passage through the birds' digestive tract in order to be viable for germination References Fellows, 1965. Silvics of Forests Trees of the United States. Agriculture Handbook No. 271. Prepared by the Division of Timber Management Research. U. S. Forest Service.