loblolly pine
Pinus taeda L.
click thumbnail to enlarge
Form
loblolly pine form loblolly pine form
Habitat
Leaves
loblolly pine needles loblolly pine needles loblolly pine needles
Twigs
loblolly pine twig
Bark
loblolly pine bark
Flowers (cones)
loblolly pine: male cones loblolly pine: male cones loblolly pine: male cones loblolly pine: male cones loblolly pine: mature male cones loblolly pine: female cone loblolly pine: female cone loblolly pine: female cone
Seeds
Comparison of Pine Cones: 5 Species
pine cones: comparison of 5 species pine cones: comparison of 5 species
  • FAMILY: PINACEAE
  • ALTERNATE COMMON NAME: old field pine
  • LEAVES: needles dark green and straight, 4-9" long, in fascicles of 3's (rarely 2's), persistent 2-4 years
  • SEED CONES: sessile, apophysis dull grayish brown, 3-6" long, prickly; seeds 0.25”, brow
  • TWIGS: slender, buds scales reddish brown, eciliate; needles dispersed along twigs; foliage along a single branch looks "thin"
  • BARK: scaly/platy, dark on young trees, cinnamon colored on older trees, with flat oblong plates
  • FORM: medium-to-large, to 80-110’ tall and 2.5’ dbh
  • HABITAT: naturally found as a component of mesic forests experiencing infrequent fire, usually growing intermixed with hardwoods; now widely planted for timber, and invading formerly open fire-maintain woodlands in the absence of frequent fire; thus, this species is much more widespread and abundant on today’s landscape than pre-1900; a rapid invader of abandoned fields when a seed source is nearby
  • WETLAND DESIGNATION: Facultative (FAC): Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Region
  • RANGE: southeastern US, Texas to Florida, north to New Jersey, to 2300 feet elevation [USGS Range Map]
  • USES: the principal pine for lumber and pulp in the southeastern US
  • WILDLIFE: occasionally browsed by whitetail deer, with planted seedlings seeing increased pressure in late winter; doves, quail, turkey eat pine seeds, along with many song birds and squirrels
    • Best Recognition Features:
    1. needles 3 per fascicle, intermediate in length compared to other Louisiana pines
    2. cones sessile, dull grayish-brown, prickly
    3. bud scales reddish-brown, lacking cilia
    LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources

    School of Renewable Natural Reources    		 Louisiana Plant Identification and Interactive Virtual Tours
    Dr. Chris S. Reid, Project Director | creid4@lsu.edu
    LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources
    LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA
    © 2003-2020

    website problems or broken links: mbowen@agcenter.lsu.edu
    page revised: 15-Jan-2020 4:11 PM  msb    		 LSU AgCenter

    LSU AgCenter
    Provide Website Feedback   |  Accessibility Statement