Dig into Plants: Longleaf Pine

Longleaf Pine

Other Common Names: Southern pine, Georgia pine, Longleaf yellow pine, Longstraw pine, Southern yellow pine

Scientific Name: Pinus palustris

Native to Alabama: Yes

Longleaf Pine Stand
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Benny Simpson

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Mature Longleaf Pines
Flickr – Scott Zona

I am a vascular plant with a woody trunk supporting woody branches, so I am a tree.
I keep leaves year-round, so I am evergreen.
I renew my growth each spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
I can grow 60 – 120 feet high and 30 – 40 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Other Birds

Other Ecological Benefits:

Longleaf pine habitats are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in North America. This means they are home to a very high number and variety of plants and animals. They support around 900 plant species, 100 bird species, 36 mammal species, and 170 reptile and amphibian species.

Some of the endangered or threatened animals that rely on longleaf pine habitats include the red-cockaded woodpecker, indigo snake, and gopher tortoise.

The gopher tortoise lives in the longleaf pine habitat and digs long underground burrows in the soil. Other species use these burrows to escape frequent fires and other natural threats. Because so many species rely on the gopher tortoise, it is considered a keystone species (a species in which few individuals can have a large impact on the ecosystem).

Gopher Tortoise
Flickr – Florida Fish and Wildlife (Carollyn Parrish)

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)

Loblolly pine
(Pinus taeda)

Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana)

Slash pine
(Pinus elliottii)

Sand pine (Pinus clausa)

Pond pine (Pinus serotina)

Maintenance Notes

Prevent soil from becoming completely dry.
Tree will naturally prune lower branches, but any dead growth can be removed.
Can use lawn fertilizer three times per year for faster growth.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.

Until established, water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay,
or Acidic Soil

The longleaf pine habitat is a very special one, in that it used to be the main habitat type in the southeastern United States. Now it is only found in small patches of that original range. Around two-thirds of the historic range has been lost due to timber harvesting, urban development, and agriculture.

Longleaf pines can occur in a variety of habitat types including mountains, rolling hills, sandhills, and flatwoods. They prefer sandy, dry, acidic soils in low elevation areas. They require full sunlight to grow and fire to maintain an open understory.

The need for fire is an very important and special characteristic of longleaf habitat.

Fire is important to longleaf habitats because it:

prevents other species from growing up into the canopy and taking over the habitat
helps keep the forest floor sunny and clear of competing shrubs and trees, allowing grasses and flowers to thrive
kills bad insects and diseases that threaten the tree
is essential for the life cycle of the tree (see more in the Life Cycle section below)

Longleaf Pine Forest Range – Historic and Current Image from The Nature Conservancy

During the 1900’s, forest fires were considered harmful and were prevented whenever possible. This caused a dramatic decrease in longleaf habitats, and led to a decrease in many of the plants and animals that depend on the longleaf pine tree habitat as well. Because it is such a special and diverse habitat, there are efforts being made to restore the longleaf habitats in the historic range.

One important tool being used is prescribed burning, which is the controlled use of fire by a team of experts under specific weather conditions in order to restore forest health. To learn more about how prescribed fire is being used in Alabama’s forests, visit our Ecosystem Investigation: Alabama Forests webpage.

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Longleaf Pine Leaves
Wikimedia – Rasbak

LEAF DESCRIPTION

Long needle-like dark green leaves range from 8-18 inches in length; They form in fascicles (bunches) of three

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Needle	Margin: Entire/Smooth
Arrangement: Complex	Form: Simple

Male cones
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Patsy Chaney

Female cone
Flickr – bobistraveling

FLOWER (CONE) DESCRIPTION

Male and female conelike reproductive structures can be found on each tree. Male reproductive structures are yellowish red or purple blue (spongy in appearance and occur in clusters) and produce pollen
Female reproductive structures are woody in appearance and grow near branch tips

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Male structures are yellowish-red or blue/purple Female structures are brown	Shape: cylindrical cluster (catkin)	Bloom Months: March – April

Longleaf Pine Seeds
LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources – Andrew G. Haase, Jr.

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
In the fall, cones dry out and release seeds that are dispersed by the wind. The seeds must come in contact with the soil in order to germinate. Historically, natural fires would keep the ground clear from leaf litter, allowing the seeds to easily germinate. Fire prevention tends to allow leaf litter to accumulate on the ground, so when the longleaf seeds are dropped, they do not come in contact with the soil and will not germinate.


Type: Cone	Description: Cones are over 5-12 inches in length and over 3 inches in width. Cones dry out, turn brown, and drop seeds.	Months in Seed: Fall

Longleaf Pine Bark
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Albert F.W. Vick

BARK DESCRIPTION

As the tree matures, the bark thickens and forms a flaky plate-like structure; the thick bark insulates the inside of the trunk, protecting it from fire


Type: Orangish brown, reddish brown	Texture: Flaky plates; peeling/shredding

Plant Life Cycle

Longleaf pine life cycle adaptations for fire:

The longleaf pine tree depends on fire for reproduction. They have special adaptations throughout their life cycle that allow them to thrive when fire is present.

After the seed germinates, the longleaf pine tree goes through several distinct life cycle stages.

The seedling stage of the longleaf pine life cycle takes about a year. During this stage, the first needles will begin to push through the seed wall.

During the grass stage, the plant does not grow in height and resembles a clump of grass. During this stage, the stem of the plant grows in thickness, and the taproot quickly develops. The needles protect the developing bud from fire. This stage lasts between 1 and 7 years.

During the bottlebrush stage (or candlestick stage), the tree begins to grow vertically. A white growing tip will grow straight upward before needles grow from it and it turns brown. The growing bud of the longleaf pine is protected from fire during this stage because of the height the plant is able to achieve. The growing bud is usually above where the fire would reach. This stage lasts for 1-2 years.