NAME:
COMMON – Loblolly Pine
BOTANICAL – Pinus taeda
FAMILY – Pinaceae

DERIVATION:
The name “loblolly” comes from a slang word used by English seamen for the lumpy gruel they were served at sea. It is native to the southeastern United States.

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS:
Grows rapidly and is easy to grow. Tall, straight trunk; long, dark green or greenish-yellow needles with brown, oval cones; dark brown bark that separates into scaly plates as the tree matures; lifespan 275 years and can grow to 60 to 90 feet in height; full sun, plant in clay or sandy soil.  They lose their lower branches as they age.

GROWTH LOCATION:
Found along the edges of the Chesapeake Bay, tidal rivers, wetlands, and throughout the Southeastern United States. 

ATTRIBUTES, VALUE, UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
Loblolly pines are considered the most commercially valuable type of wood in the southern United States.  They are used for pulp, mulch and timber. The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, the leaves support the Imperial Moth and the Eastern Pine Elfin. Native Americans used the wood for carving and building canoes.

Note that these trees should not be planted near residential areas due to their fire risk rating as “high flammability”.

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