Pinus taeda
Loblolly pine
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Mature height of 40-60' is common in landscapes, sometimes to 90'. National champion is about 170' tall and 70' wide. Loosely pyramidal when young, then losing its lower branches and becoming more open and oval-rounded in shape, eventually horizontal. A very fast grower.
Native Range
U.S. Native — Native from southern New Jersey to Florida, eastern Texas and Oklahoma. Introduced in 1713.
Flower and Fruit Details
Monoecious flowers. Fruits in buff rust brown cones, oval-cylindrical, sessile, 3-6" long, in groups of 2-5, with spines at tips.
Leaf and Bark Features
Evergreen: Dark yellowish-green to off-green needles, 6-10" long, in bundles ("fascicles") of 3 (sometimes 2), with 2 resin ducts. Becomes off color in cold winters. Young stems yellowish to reddish-brown, glaucous and strongly ridged. Bark on trunk is scaly and gray on young trees, becoming more gray-brown to red-brown, deeply furrowed with rounded ridges.
Culture and Care
Easily transplanted. Prefers moist, acid soils. Grows on a wide variety of soils, and does very well in clay soils. Heat and drought tolerant, but decline may occur due to cold winters. Zone 6-9. No serious insect or disease problems.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Will grow in tough sites where most other trees, especially evergreens, will not. Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Not cold-hardy in Zones 5 or colder. A major commercial timber species of the Southeast United States. Aggressive in forming pure stands in open fields.
Suggested Uses
Used for screens, groupings and buffers because of its fast growth. Not especially graceful, but useful in poor soil areas. Good for fast screening when young. Colonizes highway cuts, banks and ditches.