Longleaf Pine

Description:

It reaches a height of 30–35 m (98–115 ft) and a diameter of 0.7 m (28 in). The bark is thick, reddish-brown, and scaly. The leaves are dark green and needle-like, and occur in bundles of three. They often are twisted and 20–45 cm (7.9–18 in) in length. The cones, both female seed cones (ovulate strobili) and male pollen cones (staminate strobili), are initiated during the growing season before buds emerge. Pollen cones begin forming in their buds in July, while seed conelets are formed during a relatively short period of time in August. Pollination occurs early the following spring, with the male cones 3–8 cm (1.2–3.1 in) long. The female (seed) cones mature in about twenty months from pollination; when mature they are yellow-brown in color, 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) long, and 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) broad, opening to 12 cm (4.7 in), and have a small, but sharp, downward-pointing spine on the middle of each scale. The seeds are 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long, with a 25–40 mm (0.98–1.6 in) wing.

Habitat:

A pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. Vast forests of Longleaf Pine once were present along the southeastern Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast of North America, as part of the eastern savannas. This photograph depicts the large female cone and extremely long needles. It was photographed at the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve near Windsor (Aiken County), SC.

Notes:

These forests were the source of naval stores (resin, turpentine, and timber - needed by merchants and the navy for their ships). The yellow, resinous wood is used for lumber and pulp. The extremely long needles are popular for use in the ancient craft of coiled basket making.