Identifying Characteristics
| Size/Form: | Loblolly pine is a large evergreen tree that reaches heights of 40 meters, with a trunk about a meter in diameter. It has a long, clear bole that is occasionally buttressed, ascending limbs, and a rounded, spreading crown. Young trees retain lower branches much longer than slash or longleaf pines. |
| Leaves: |
Pines have long needle-like leaves that are held in bundles called "fascicles" with a sheath holding the needles together at the base. The first steps toward identifying each species are 1) measuring the length of the needles, 2) counting the number in a fascicle, and 3) measuring the length of the sheath. Be sure to check a few branches to get an average for the whole tree.
On loblolly pine, the needles are 10 to 17 cm long, and borne in fascicles of 3 or occasionally 2. They are dark yellowish green or sometimes grayish green, thick but flexible, and sometimes slightly twisted. The sheath is 1-1.5 cm long. The needles are often persistent through the end of the second season. |
| Twigs: | The twigs are thin, yellowish- to reddish-brown, and scaly. The buds are slightly resinous. |
| Bark: | Young bark is yellowish-gray or a light reddish-brown. Mature bark is dark grayish-brown. Furrows in the trunk break it into elongated, broad, irregular plates. |
| Cones: |
All pines are gymnosperms, which means that they reproduce with seeds but do not bear flowers or fruits. All pines are also monoecious, meaning that they bear both seed and pollen cones in separate structures on the same plant. The seeds cones can be "serotinous" (meaning that they remain closed at maturity and only open in response to a fire) or they can be "nonserotinous" (meaning that they open to release the seeds as soon as they are mature).
On loblolly pine, the pollen cones are 2-4 cm long and yellowish brown, sometimes with a hint of red. The young seed cones are yellow turning to green and generally appear in clusters of 2 or 3 (rarely solitary). Mature seed cones are 6-10 cm long and anywhere from light to dark brown. The cones are egg-shaped to cylindrical and either sit directly on the branch or on very short stalks. The exposed part of each scale forms a diamond shape that is crossed by a distinct ridge with a stout, sharp spine in the middle. Loblolly pine produces a large number of cones and there are usually many cones on the tree at any time of year. The cones are nonserotinous and usually fall soon after maturity. |
| Seeds: | The seeds of loblolly pine are 5-7 mm, with an attached wing adding 15-23 mm. |
| Similar Trees on the Florida 4-H Forest Ecology Contest List: There are four pine species on our list.
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