Loblolly pine

Sun

Full sun; young trees tolerate light shade but develop poorly under a dense canopy.

Water

Moderate; prefers consistent moisture while establishing and tolerates some drought once well rooted.

Soil

Prefers acidic, moist, well-drained sandy loam or clay loam. Tolerates heavy soils and occasional flooding, but avoid permanently waterlogged or strongly alkaline ground.

Height

60-90 ft (18-27 m), occasionally taller

Spread

25-40 ft (7.6-12 m)

Flowers

Spring: yellowish pollen cones and small reddish to purplish seed cones; wind-pollinated and not showy.

Foliage

Evergreen. Yellow-green to dark green needles, usually in bundles of three, 6-10 in (15-25 cm) long. Older inner needles yellow and fall naturally, especially in autumn.

Growth

Fast; often 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) a year while young on suitable sites.

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   9 ft (2.7 m)

2. After 1 year

   14 ft (4.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   19 ft (5.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   24 ft (7.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   34 ft (10.3 m)

About 13 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Fast

• Plant while dormant, choosing a position with room for the mature crown and well away from overhead wires.
• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two growing seasons; let the soil begin to dry between waterings.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Do not fertilize routinely; use a soil test to identify deficiencies before feeding.
• Protect the trunk and surface roots from mower damage, digging and soil compaction.

Pruning. Prune dead, damaged or crossing branches in late winter, cutting just outside the branch collar; hazardous branches need prompt attention. Do not top the tree or cut branches back into bare old wood, which rarely produces replacement growth.

Late winter

Inspect the trunk and crown, and prune small damaged or crossing branches before new growth begins.

Spring

Check new shoots for browning or tip-moth damage; water newly planted trees if rainfall is insufficient.

Early summer

Renew mulch if needed and keep grass away from the trunk.

Summer

Water young trees deeply during prolonged dry weather and watch for resin masses, boring dust or rapid crown browning.

Autumn

Expect some older inner needles to yellow and fall; leave a thin needle layer as mulch where practical.

Autumn to winter

Plant container-grown trees during mild, dormant-season weather when the soil is workable and not saturated.

• Plant in loose groups on large properties for evergreen screening, allowing for lower branches to thin as trees mature.
• Use as the tall canopy in a southeastern US native woodland with hollies and other acid-soil shrubs.
• Place as a specimen in an expansive lawn or meadow where its mature trunk and open crown can be seen.
• Establish a shelterbelt with mixed trees and shrubs rather than relying on a single row of pines.

Garden styles it suits: Southern, Woodland, Wildlife garden, Grand estate, Modern rustic and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Yaupon holly, Wax myrtle, Inkberry, Eastern redbud, Highbush blueberry and Switchgrass.

Wildlife: Seeds feed birds and small mammals; the crown provides shelter and nesting sites. Native insects use the foliage and wood, and older trees can provide valuable habitat for cavity-nesting birds.

• Southern pine beetle: resin masses, boring dust and rapidly browning crowns need urgent assessment by an arborist; infested trees may require removal to limit spread.
• Fusiform rust: spindle-shaped swellings develop on branches or trunks. Prune affected branches where feasible; have trunk infections assessed for structural weakness.
• Pine tip moths: damaged shoots turn brown and young trees may become bushy. Remove accessible affected tips; seek local advice if repeated attacks distort the main leader.
• Root rot and decline: persistent saturation or buried root collars can cause thinning and death. Keep the root flare exposed and choose a better-drained site rather than trying to correct chronic waterlogging with fertilizer.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Needles and resin can irritate the mouth or stomach if chewed, and swallowed needles may cause physical injury; do not offer prunings as animal feed.

Where it spreads. Invasive outside its native range in parts of southern Brazil and South Africa, where self-sown trees can spread into grassland and other open habitats. Check local planting restrictions and remove unwanted seedlings.

• Slash pine (Pinus elliottii)

  Needles occur in bundles of two and three and are often glossier. Its cones are generally shinier, with stouter prickles than loblolly pine's duller cones.

• Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)

  Has much longer needles, usually 8-18 in (20-46 cm), clustered at branch tips, much larger cones and conspicuous silvery terminal buds.

• Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)

  Has shorter needles, usually 3-5 in (7.5-13 cm), in bundles of two or three, and smaller cones with less prominent prickles.

“Loblolly” is an old word for a muddy hollow, referring to its common lowland habitat, while the Latin taeda means a resinous pine torch.

Propagation. Usually grown from seed collected from mature cones. A period of moist chilling improves germination; sow in spring and protect seedlings from rodents. Seed-grown trees vary in cold tolerance, so use stock of suitable regional provenance.

Accepted botanical name

Pinus taeda

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

Measured

Average height 1165 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.