Loblolly Pine

Loblolly Pine. Janes Island State Park—White Tail Trail. , Loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, is the second most common tree species in the United States, after Red Maple., Loblolly pine is a part of a group known as southern yellow pine by the timber industry, and it is found from central Texas to Florida and north to New Jersey. It is the most commercially valuable tree for its timber in the southeastern United States. It is a fast growing tree, reaching heights of up to 100 feet tall. It grows well in wet or dry soils once it is established. The bark of a loblolly pine is thick, scaly, and dark gray. Flowers of the loblolly are yellowish orange and are supplanted by prickly 3 -5 inch cones. There are three needles in each cluster., Loblolly pines were a relatively minor species in the original Southern forests, but Captain John Smith and others soon recognized its value in ship building and general construction., The loblolly ecosystem provides food and shelter for many birds and animals, including the wild turkey, mourning dove, northern bobwhite, black-capped chickadee, American goldfinch, white-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrel. eastern cottontail, and the American bald eagle.