Conifer · Pinaceae Draft — unreviewed
Loblolly pine
Pinus taeda L.
Also called loblolly pine.
The dominant fast-growing pine of the southern Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Tall, open-crowned and a major source of pine straw.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 18–27 m (59–89 ft) tall and 8–12 m (26–39 ft) wide; fast growth, about 15 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #15 install size.
Design notes
- Self-prunes lower branches and drops cones; site well away from houses because large pines fail in hurricanes and ice.
- Southern pine beetle outbreaks follow drought — keep stressed stands thinned.
Regions
Native range: Southeastern U.S. from Delaware to Florida and east Texas.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Longleaf pine
Pinus palustris · Conifer · 18–24 m (59–79 ft)
Eastern white pine
Pinus strobus · Conifer · 15–24 m (49–79 ft)
Afghan pine
Pinus brutia subsp. eldarica · Conifer · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Pinyon pine
Pinus edulis · Conifer · 5–10 m (16–33 ft)
Eastern red cedar
Juniperus virginiana · Conifer · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Mops dwarf mugo pine
Pinus mugo 'Mops' · Shrub · 0.9–1.2 m (3–4 ft)
Plan with Loblolly pine
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.