This small tree occurs mostly in cool-temperate northeastern regions. In Ky. it is known only from upper slopes of the Cumberland Mts. and in ravines along Big South Fork of Cumberland Rv. The species can be much browsed by mammalian herbivores under certain conditions (e.g. Collins & Carson 2003) and it is highly sensitive to fire (e.g. Brose et al. 2007). It is likely that the population along Big South Fork is due to past refuge from these disturbances in this locality; see also notes on Pinus strobus.