Longleaf Pine

The Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) is a pine native to the southeast United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida.

It reaches a height of 30-35 m (100-115 ft) and a diameter of 0.7 m (28"). In the past, they reportedly grew to 47 m (154 ft) with a diameter of 1.2 m (47").

The bark is thick, reddish-brown, and scaly. The leaves are dark green, needle-like, and occur in bundles of three. They are often twisted and are remarkably long 20-45 cm (8-18") in length. It is one of the two southeastern U.S. pines with long needles, the other being Slash Pine. The cones, both male pollen cones (staminate strobili) and female seed cones (ovulate 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 (1-3") long. The female (seed) cones mature in about 20 months from pollination; when mature they are yellow-brown in color, 15-25 cm long, 5-7 cm broad opening to 12 cm (6-10" long, 2-2½" broad opening to 5" broad), and have a small but sharp downward-pointing spine on the middle of each scale. The seeds are 7-9 mm long, with a 25-40 mm wing (1/3" long, with a 1 - 1¾" wing).

Longleaf Pine takes 100 to 150 years to become full size and can live to 300 years old. When young, they grow a long taproot, which is usually 2-3 m (6-10 ft) long; by maturity they have a wide spreading lateral root system with several deep 'sinker' roots. It grows on well-drained, usually sandy soil, often in pure stands. In northern Alabama, it sometimes occurs on clay soil. The scientific name meaning "of marshes" is a misunderstanding on the part of Philip Miller who described the species, from seeing Longleaf Pine forests with temporary winter flooding.

Longleaf Pine is also known as Southern Yellow Pine or Longleaf Yellow Pine, and in the past as Pitch Pine (dropped as it caused confusion with Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida). Long leaf pines are found in the upland pine forest habitat

Ecology
Longleaf Pine is highly resistant to fire. Periodic natural wildfire selects for this species by killing other trees, leading to open Longleaf Pine forests or savannas. New seedlings do not appear at all tree-like and resemble a green fountain of needles. This form is called the grass stage. During this stage, which lasts for 5-12 years, vertical growth is very slow, and the tree may take a number of years simply to grow ankle-high. Then it makes a growth spurt, especially if there is no tree canopy above it. In the grass stage, it is very resistant to grass fires, which burn off the ends of the needles, but the fire cannot penetrate the tightly packed needle bases to reach the bud. While relatively immune to fire, at this stage, the plant is quite appealing to feral hogs, and the early settlers habit of releasing swine into the woodlands to feed was greatly responsible for the decline of the species.

Longleaf Pine forests are rich in biodiversity. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is dependent on Longleaf Pine forests, and is now endangered as a result of this decline. Longleaf Pines seeds are large and nutritious, forming a significant food source for birds (notably the Brown-headed Nuthatch) and other wildlife.

The Forest Service is conducting prescribed burning programs in the Francis Marion National Forest, located outside of Charleston, SC. They are hoping to increase the longleaf pine forest type to 44,700 acres (180 km²) in the next ten years and 53,500 acres (217 km²) in the longterm. In addition to longleaf restoration, prescribed burning will enhance the endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers' preferred habitat of open, park-like stands, provide habitat for wildlife dependent on grass-shrub habitat which is very limited, and reduce the risk of damaging wildfires.

The Red Hills Region of Florida and Georgia is home to some of the best preserved stands of Longleaf Pine. These forests have been regularly burned for many decades to encourage quail habitat in private hunting plantations.

Uses
Vast forests of Longleaf Pine once were present along the southeastern Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast of North America. These forests were the source of naval stores - resin, turpentine, and timber - needed by merchants and the navy for their ships. They have been cutover since for timber and usually replaced with faster growing Loblolly Pine and Slash Pine, for agriculture, and for urban/suburban development. Due to this deforestation and over-harvesting, only about 3 % of the original Longleaf Pine forest remains, and little new is planted. However, it is available at many nurseries within its range; the southernmost known point of sale is in Lake Worth, Florida.

The yellow, resinous wood is used for lumber and pulp. Boards cut years ago from virgin timber were very wide, up to 1 m (3 ft), and a thriving salvage business obtains these boards from demolition projects to be reused as flooring in upscale homes.

The stumps and taproots of old trees become saturated with resin and will not rot. Farmers sometimes find old buried stumps in fields, even some that were cleared a century ago, and these are usually dug up and sold as "fat lighter" or "lighter wood" which is in demand as kindling for fireplaces, wood stoves, and barbecue pits. In old growth pine the heartwood of the bole is often saturated in the same way. When boards are cut from the fat lighter wood, they are very heavy and will not rot, but buildings constructed of them are quite flammable and make extremely hot fires.

The Longleaf Pine is the official state tree of Alabama. North Carolina's state tree is the pine tree generally and the longleaf pine specifically is lauded in the official state toast.

Longleaf pine restoration
Before European settlement the longleaf pine forest dominated as much as 90 million acres (360,000 km²) stretching from Virginia south to Florida and west to eastern Texas. Its range was defined by the frequent widespread fires that occurred throughout the southeast. This rich ecosystem has now been relegated to less than 5% of its presettlement range. A major cause of the decline of longleaf pine habitat has been aggressive suppression of necessary fire that allows longleaf to be the dominant species.

'In "pine barrens" most of the day. Low, level, sandy tracts; the pines wide apart; the sunny spaces between full of beautiful abounding grasses, liatris, long, wand-like solidago, saw palmettos, etc., covering the ground in garden style. Here I sauntered in delightful freedom, meeting none of the cat-clawed vines, or shrubs, of the alluvial bottoms.' - John Muir

Efforts are being made to restore longleaf pine ecosystems within its natural range. Some groups such as the Longleaf Alliance are actively promoting research, education, and management of the longleaf pine.