Tree highlight: loblolly pine
Loblolly pine
Pinus taeda (Family Pinaceae)
Loblolly pine is one of the fastest-growing southern pines
The basics
Loblolly pine is a tall, fast-growing evergreen conifer native to the southeastern United States, with a range extending from Florida west to central Texas, north to Tennessee and eastward to southern New Jersey. Loblolly pine reaches 60-90 feet in height and is widely planted across the south as a timber tree. Its leaves are dark greenish yellow, modified into long, slender needles 6-10” in length, and grouped into bundles (or fascicles) of three. The seed-bearing cones are 3-6” long and have sharp spiney scales. The reddish-brown bark develops furrows and scaly plates as the tree ages. Also known as ‘old field pine,’ ‘bull pine,’ ‘rosemary pine,’ ‘Arkansas pine,’ or ‘North Carolina pine,’ loblolly pine thrives in acidic, moist soils and is often found in lowlands and swampy areas.
Did you know?
- Loblolly pine is one of the ‘moon trees,’ so named because its seeds were carried to the moon on Apollo 14. The other species were redwood, sweetgum, sycamore, and Douglas fir. Upon return, the seeds were planted across the U.S.
- The common name comes from the old English word “lob,” meaning bubbling, and “lolly,” a pot-boiled food. In the southern U.S., this refers to the muddy, swampy landscapes where loblolly pine thrives.
- Loblolly pine is commonly planted in plantations for timber and is the most commercially important tree in the south.
The seed-bearing cones are 3-6” long and have sharp spiney scales
Loblolly pine provide excellent cover and shelter for wildlife
Wildlife
- Mature loblolly pines provide ideal nesting sites for bald eagles and ospreys.
- Loblolly pine forests create habitat for white-tailed deer, northern bobwhite, wild turkey, squirrels, and numerous other animals.
- The threatened red cockaded woodpecker is found only in mature pine forests and nests more readily in loblolly pine than in other pine species.
Uses
- Loblolly pine is among the most widely planted timber tree in the southeast U.S. It is used for furniture, plywood, pulpwood, crates, and composite boards.
- Loblolly pine helps restore damaged or eroded soils in reclamation and reforestation efforts and is also used ornamentally.
The loblolly pine is the leading commercial timber species in the Southeastern U.S.
Benefits
Over a 20-year period, a healthy loblolly pine with a diameter of 15 inches will offset 5,607 car miles worth of CO2, absorb enough stormwater to fill 783 bathtubs, and remove an amount of pollution from the air – in gaseous and particulate form – equivalent in weight to 74 smartphones! Learn more at: https://mytree.itreetools.org/
Learn more
Conifers of Kentucky
By University of Kentucky Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Click to watch