Georgia Wildlife Federation

Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Guide to Native Plants of Georgia for Wildlife < Pinus taeda

Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda

The Loblolly Pine is perhaps the most ubiquitous of southeastern native pine trees, and for good reason. It is an adaptable and maintenance-free tree that can survive almost any environmental conditions except for perhaps severe ice storms, which often cause limb breakage.

Loblolly Pines, as well as our other native pines, have unfortunately been completely overlooked as ornamentals. One way to add more ornamental value to pines is to plant vines nearby and allow them to climb. The crimson fall color of Virginia creeper and the prolific scarlet blooms of Trumpet Creeper pair well with the reddish bark of pines. Perhaps a more important purpose, however, is to add foliage interest. Pines tend to leaf out high in their crowns while pruning the bottom third as they grow, and vines mediate this greatly. Other great companions to Loblolly Pine include oaks, eastern redcedars, hickories, American hazelnuts, buckeyes, sumacs, and sweetgums.

Loblolly Pine’s fast growth is useful for reclaiming fields, starting a woodland, or where a quick effect is needed. Because great amounts of light penetrate their crowns, fruit and vegetable gardens as well as sun-loving plants easily grow under pine cover. Use pines when the dense shade of a hardwood forest is not desired.

Its needles, like all pines, are high in vitamin C and entirely edible. They make an excellent and nutritious addition to salads, soups, and have a wonderfully fragrant smell. Pine needles provide nesting material and food for many bird species. They also benefit plant life and make excellent mulch. They acidify the soil slightly when they decay, and are especially useful for acid-loving plants like blueberries, mountainlaurel, native azaleas, and other Ericaceous plants Loblolly is a major source of wood for lumber as well as mulch, nursery media, and pulpwood. It is planted extensively across the southeast in large timber plantations because of its fast growth.

Family: Pinaceae (Pine)

Description: A medium to large evergreen coniferous tree with a thin, oval, open crown. Bark is initially reddish or grayish brown and scaly; older trees gain ridges, furrows, and round scaly plates; very old trees have reddish-brown, flat scaly plates. Leaves are evergreen, 6-9” long (shorter than Longleaf, but longer than Shortleaf and Virginia Pines), yellow-green, and borne 3 per fascicle. Flowering is monoecious, with male cones being long and cylindrical, red to yellow, and clustering at the terminal ends of branches. Females are yellow to purple. Fruits (pine cones) are ovoid to cylindrical, 3-6” long, red-brown, possess scales with a short, sharp spine, and mature in early fall.

Size: 90-120 feet tall and 30-40 feet wide

Habit: A medium to large evergreen coniferous tree with a thin, oval, open crown and a straight trunk

Growth Rate: Very fast

Light: Full sun to partial sun

Planting and Care: Pines are ideal for problem spots in virtually any landscape with poor and well-drained soil. Acid and sandy soils are preferable to calcareous or clayey ones. Loblolly Pine requires no maintenance after planting and even prunes its own limbs as it grows. Because it is taprooted, transplants tend to establish poorly. Sow seeds in the tree’s final location or immediately transplant seedlings out of smaller pots to minimize this effect.

Ornamental Value: Loblolly Pine, as well as other native pines, has ornamental value in the needlelike foliage which is studded with intricate brown cones throughout the fall and winter. Pines look best grouped with other pines or deciduous trees rather than as specimens. Good companions include Black, Post, and Southern Red Oaks, Eastern Persimmon, Sassafras, Sparkleberry, Flowering Dogwood, and Mountainlaurel. Virginia Creeper and Trumpet Creeper are both wonderful vining companions to allow to climb pines.

Landscape Use: Loblolly Pines are ideal in places where a relatively quick result is desired. They establish easily in poor and dry sites and are extremely drought tolerant once their taproots establish. Its most substantial impact is in stands, but may also be used as a specimen. Eastern White, Shortleaf, Virginia, and Longleaf Pines are all excellent canopy trees for sunnier gardens because their needlelike foliage allows significant amounts of light to penetrate to the ground.

Wildlife Benefits: Seeds are eaten by the ground dove, quail, and wild turkey. Pine needles are eaten by grouse as well as used as nesting material by songbirds. Pine needles are consumed by the larvae of the Eastern Pine Elfin butterfly, the Southern Pine Sphinx moth, and the rare and magnificent Imperial Moth.

Native Habitat: Native to the southeastern US from New Jersey west to Illinois, southwest to Texas, and east to Florida. It is a pioneer species in virtually any habitat, from river bottoms to open fields to forest edges.