Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris
Plant Family: Pinaceae
Leaves: Needles are in bundles of 3, 15 – 30 cm long, the leaf buds are whitish.
Bark: Gray and red-brown, flaky, fire scars may be present on the lower trunk.
Cones: The cones are usually greater than 15 cm long and each scale is tipped with a short spine; present all year
Habitat: Pinelands, often in pure stands, and having a very diverse understory of herbaceous plants. It is not common in south Florida, being restricted to Lee County.
Growth Form: Medium-sized to large tree.
Similar Species: Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) has cones less than 15 cm long, brown buds, and is found in all the south Florida counties.
Comments: Longleaf pine is highly fire resistant in all growth stages. New seedlings look like tall clumps of grass; if subjected to fire the ends of the needles burn off but the central bud is protected. After a few years of root development the tree begins a fast upward growth spurt and is soon out of the reach of ground fires. Longleaf Pine forests once covered much of the southeastern U.S., but heavy logging and subsequent suppression of fires have reduced it to less than 5% of its former range.
