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Pinus taeda is often confused with:
Pinus elliottii Form
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Juniperus virginiana Juniperus virginiana
Quercus nigra Quercus nigra
Tsuga canadensis Upright growth form of a mature tree.
Pinus taeda has some common insect problems:
Redheaded Pine Sawfly
Southern Pine Sawyer
Southern Pine Beetle
Pine Engraver Beetles
Pests of Conifers
Pitch Gall Midges
Pine Bark Beetles
Pine Colaspis
Powdery Pine Needle Aphid
Deodar Weevil / Eastern Pine Weevil

Pinus taeda

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
PY-nus TAY-duh
Description

Loblolly pine is a needled evergreen tree in the pine family (Pinaceae) and is native to the southeastern United States. It has the most rapid growth rate of all pines and may grow 60 to 90 feet tall with a 20 to 40 foot width.  

Grow Loblolly pine in medium to wet soils and in full sun. It prefers moist, acidic soils with poor drainage but will tolerate alkaline soils. It performs best in climates with hot and humid summers and mild winters. It sometimes grows in pure stands and commonly spreads into old fields by self-seeding. 

It is loosely pyramidal in youth and develops a dense oval crown at maturity as it loses its lower branches. As the tree ages, the bark thickens forming irregular, flaky plates that reveal a dark chocolate color when removed. In spring, red to yellow male cones and yellow to purple female cones mature in clusters. The straight trunk can grow up to 3 feet in diameter, making this an important timber tree whose wood is used for paper pulp, plywood, and general construction. Its wood value and rapid growth rate make it an important tree for forest management. It is also often seen in subdivisions with homes built among existing pines, a setting which is not recommended due to its fire hazard.

This tree is good for fast screening when it is young and is easily transplanted from containers. Plant it away from the house in a mass planting in a meadow, woodland, or other naturalized area. Its characteristics also make it appropriate in a native, rain, or winter garden. 

Fire Risk: This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home. 

Quick ID Hints:

  • Pine tree with tall, straight trunk

  • Needles are medium length and in threes

  • Needs are borne in clusters at the tips of twigs, which are bare below

  • Cones are persisting, with sharply pointed umbo on each cone scale

A food source for the Eastern elfin (callophrys niphon) butterfly as well as larvae of the Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis).

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Southern pine beetle and pine engraver beetle. Fusiform rust and rots may occur. This tree is susceptible to wind damage.  

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscapes:
Japanese Garden at JC Raulston Arboretum Pollinator Haven Garden in Sanford, Lee County Woodland Backyard Garden Walk
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Nana'
Tags:
#evergreen#native tree#moth caterpillar host#conifer#cover plant#tsc#seeds#squirrel friendly#small mammals#fire high flammability#NC native#deer resistant#nighttime garden#children's garden#playground plant#lumber#self-seeding#edible seeds#screening#Braham Arboretum#fantz#larval host plant#food source fall#food source herbage#Coastal FAC#Piedmont Mountains FAC#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#cover plant winter#tsc-cg#Audubon#wind damage prone#poor drainage tolerant#imperial moth#eastern pine elfin butterfly#butterfly caterpillar host#wildlife friendly#cpp#hs111
 
Growing in a stand
Growing in a stand Chris M. Morris CC BY 2.0
Pinus taeda
Full Form Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Male cones
Male cones Homer Edward Price CC BY 2.0
Male cones
Male cones zizzybaloobah CC BY-NC 2.0
Female cone
Female cone zizzybaloobah CC BY-NC 2.0
Eagle in the tree
Eagle in the tree Miguel Vieira CC BY 2.0
Seedling
Seedling Lucy Bradley CC0
Trunk
Trunk Drew Avery CC BY 2.0
Mature bark
Mature bark Hellohowareyoudoing CC0 1.0
Fascicle sheath (Pinus taeda)
Fascicle sheath (Pinus taeda) Tom Glasgow CC BY 4.0
Shoot bearing needles, old male cones, and silvery new growth.
Old male cones Cathy DeWitt CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Nana'
Tags:
#evergreen#native tree#moth caterpillar host#conifer#cover plant#tsc#seeds#squirrel friendly#small mammals#fire high flammability#NC native#deer resistant#nighttime garden#children's garden#playground plant#lumber#self-seeding#edible seeds#screening#Braham Arboretum#fantz#larval host plant#food source fall#food source herbage#Coastal FAC#Piedmont Mountains FAC#wet soils tolerant#bird friendly#food source hard mast fruit#cover plant winter#tsc-cg#Audubon#wind damage prone#poor drainage tolerant#imperial moth#eastern pine elfin butterfly#butterfly caterpillar host#wildlife friendly#cpp#hs111
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Pinus
    Species:
    taeda
    Family:
    Pinaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Native Americans used this tree for its lumber. They would use the lumber for carving and in building canoes.
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Southeastern United States
    Fire Risk Rating:
    high flammability
    Wildlife Value:
    It provides winter cover. This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. This plant also supports Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon) which have one flight from March-June. Squirrels and birds eat the seeds.
    Play Value:
    Easy to Grow
    Textural
    Wildlife Cover/Habitat
    Wildlife Food Source
    Wildlife Nesting
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    This tree is moderately resistant to damage from deer.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 90 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Perennial
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Horizontal
    Pyramidal
    Rounded
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    24-60 feet
    more than 60 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Red/Burgundy
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Length:
    > 3 inches
    Fruit Description:
    The stalkless, ovoid-cylindrical to narrow conical cones (3-6” long) with sharply-spined scales appear in groups of 1-3. They release their seeds from fall to winter and stay on the tree for a year before dropping. They are rusty-brown, umbo dorsal and bearing a recurved spine. Smaller pollen cones are yellow-brown in groups of 6-12. Fruit displays from October to November.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Insignificant
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Description:
    In the spring, the loblolly pine has red to yellow male cones and yellow to purple female cones. Coning is from March to April.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Prickly
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Other/more complex
    Leaf Shape:
    Acicular
    Leaf Margin:
    Denticulate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    Dark yellow-green needles ( 3 per fascicle) in bundles of three 6"-10" long with 1" long sheaths and are clustered on dwarf shoots. They are finely-toothed, stiff and slender. They drop during the tree's third year.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Dark Gray
    Red/Burgundy
    Surface/Attachment:
    Peeling
    Ridges
    Shredding
    Bark Plate Shape:
    Irregular
    Bark Description:
    Red to grey brown scaly young bark and red-brown furrowed rounded scaly plates with maturity. The plates are broad and flat.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Stems are erect, straight, tall, bearing branches typically above one's head. Young twigs quickly abort fascicles except at apex. The upper branches tend to curve upwards while the lower branches droop, eventually falling off the tree as it ages.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Naturalized Area
    Recreational Play Area
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Children's Garden
    Garden for the Blind
    Native Garden
    Nighttime Garden
    Rain Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Mass Planting
    Screen/Privacy
    Attracts:
    Moths
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Wet Soil