Tall Pine Undergrowth

When pine forests have grown in the same place for generations, the soil gets so acidic that only a few other plants can tolerate the conditions. The inhospitable soil coupled with the deep shade from the pine canopy can leave the understory fairly open. In this image, the early, summer morning is giving way to hazy humidity that even settles over the highlands of West Virginia. The last minutes of angled light draw shallow shadows on the needle-covered ground.