The longleaf pine is an evergreen, gymnosperm tree in the Pinaceae (pine) family that may grow 60 to 120 feet tall with short, stout, spare branches forming an open, irregular crown. It is native to the southern United States and ranges from Virginia west to Texas and south to Florida. The tree produces both a purple-blue male cone and a dark purple female cone. The cones are the largest of any pine in eastern North America. The longleaf pine does best in full sun and prefers well-drained, acidic, sandy or clay soils. This tree is difficult to transplant because it rapidly produces a deep taproot. It grows in a "grass-like" stage for the first five years, staying very short in height but allowing the stem to grow in thickness. Seeds need to be exposed to fire before germination can occur. It has historically been used for naval purposes—specifically for pitch, tar, resin, and turpentine—and is still used for lumber today. The wood is known for its heaviness, strength, and durability. It is home to the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and also provides food and winter cover for other wildlife. This tree can be used as a specimen plant or in a mass planting to create a naturalized area. Needles can be used as pine mulch, but fallen shoots with needles can be a litter problem. Quick ID Hints: Pine tree with elongated needles in threes Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Less susceptible to wind damage than other pines. No serious pest or disease problems in landscapes. More information on Pinus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 120 ft. 0 in. | Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open; Rounded
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green; White
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf shape
Acicular
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Slippery
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are needles clustered on dwarf shoots (fascicles) in threes. They are long, 6-12", pliable, have finely serrulate margins, and are bright green. All surfaces have fine stomatal lines. Buds are silvery-white and aid in the identification of this tree. These "candles" of new growth are anywhere from 3-15 in long.
Flower detail
No flowers.
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender
Fruit value
Good Dried; Showy
Fruit size
> 3 inches long, > 3 inches wide
Fruit detail
No fruits. Produces a purple-blue male cone and a dark purple female cone that is large, ovoid-oblong, and later turns brown. In their second year, the now mature female cones are 6-15 in. long and have spines at the tips of the scales. They drop their seeds in September to October and fall off the tree soon after. Some of the largest cones among the pine species.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Light Gray; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
As the tree ages, the orange-brown to reddish-brown bark thickens forming irregular, flaky plates.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
The branches tend to be gnarled or twisted. Twigs are orange-brown, aging darker brown andd rough
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southern US
Distribution
VA west to TX south to FL
Wildlife value
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. The Longleaf pine provides winter cover. Fox and gray squirrels, quail, brown-headed nuthatches, mourning doves, and turkeys eat the seeds. Red-cockaded woodpeckers excavate cavities in the living specimens of this species.
Attracts
Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used as lumber, poles, pine straw and is the state tree of NC. Sap was used to make tar to seal the wood of boats.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Naturalized Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Nighttime Garden; Winter Garden
Garden tags
#mulch #evergreen #deer resistant #full sun tolerant #large tree #lumber #conifer #fire high flammability #Braham Arboretum #NC native #native tree #food source fall #fantz #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #mammals #Coastal FAC #Piedmont Mountains FAC #bird friendly #Audubon #larval host plant #nighttime garden #imperial moth #wind damage prone #winter cover #woodpeckers #wildlife friendly #cpp #HS111 #illustration #HS304
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers; Southern Pine Sawyer; Pine Engraver Beetles; Deodar Weevil / Eastern Pine Weevil; Pitch Gall Midges; Pine Bark Beetles; Pine Colaspis