Pinus taeda L.

Robin Ussery

Photo borrowed from the University of GA Herbarium

The tallest pine of the south is the loblolly pine, or Pinus taeda, reaching heights of 150 ft. or more. It ranges from New Jersey to Florida and Texas, and grows abundantly in many nutrient-poor soils that few other species can tolerate. It has a reddish bark, a dense, round-topped head, and its needles come in fascicles of three. The needles last for about three to four years, and are usually dark green, becoming off-colored in the winter. The loblolly's flower is rather atypical. Male and female flowers are separate; the female flower is what develops into the familiar cone, and the male flower is what produces the pollen. The fruit consists of cones, which are slightly egg-shaped, about three to six inches long, and armed with sharp, stout, spines (grouped two to five together).

The loblolly pine is one of the leading commercial timber species in the U.S. As stated before, it can grow in places where few other species can, and has grown abundantly in even the reddest of red clay. It also has a remarkable capacity for spreading, and will form pure stands in old fields.

For a key to distinguish Pinus taeda from other pine species, see Genus Pinus.

Taxonomic Information:

Pinus taeda: Linnaeus. Species Plantarum. Type specimens at the Linnaean herbarium at the Linnean Society of London (LINN).

Pinus taeda belongs to the following taxonomic classifications:

Division: Spermatophyta
Subdivision: Gymnospermae
Order: Coniferae
Family: Pinaceae
Genus and species: Pinus taeda

Relative Distribution at Sam's Farm (in Clarke County, GA; on Hwy. 78, near mile marker 16):

Pinus taeda L.

AREA	STATUS	REFERENCES
Old Field	Common	Robin Ussery, Pers. Ob.
Wetland	?
Woods	Common	Robin Ussery, Pers. Ob.
River Quadrat 3 (1.20.0-1.20.100 to 1.30.0-1.30.100)	Common	Robin Ussery, Pers. Ob.
Uplands Quadrat 4 (1.30.0-1.30.100 to 1.40.0-1.40.100)	Common	Robin Ussery, Pers. Ob.

References:

Sources for General Information:

Dirr, Michael A. 1975. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (4th ed.). Stipes Publishing Co. (ISBN 0-87563-347-1).

Everett, Thomas H. 1981. Encyclopedia of Horticulture (Vol 8). Garland Publishing, Inc. (ISBN 0-8240-7238-3).

Sources for Taxonomic Information:

Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany (8th ed.). American Book Co., USA.

Hooker, Joseph D. and Jackson, B. Daydon. 1960. Index Kewensis (Vol. II).