# longleaf pine (*Pinus palustris*) The longleaf pine is a tall tree with long, slender needles that can grow very high. It provides homes for many animals and helps keep the air clean. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 13 - **Habitat:** Forests ![longleaf pine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pinus_palustris_UGA1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, CC BY 3.0 us · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pinus_palustris_UGA1.jpg) ## Appearance The longleaf pine has incredibly long, dark green needles, bundled in threes, that can grow up to 18 inches. Its straight, sturdy trunk is covered in scaly reddish-brown bark, topped by an open, rounded crown. Large, prickly cones often remain on branches. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Pinopsida - **Order:** Pinales - **Family:** Pinaceae - **Genus:** Pinus ## Interesting facts - For several years, young longleaf pines look like a patch of grass! - Longleaf pines can live for hundreds of years, making them wise, old forest guardians! - Their incredibly long needles, up to 18 inches, are the longest of any pine species! - These trees once covered 90 million acres of the southeastern United States! ## Special abilities - **Fire Shield:** Longleaf pine can withstand frequent fires due to its thick bark and 'grass stage' growth, helping it survive wildfire. - **Anchoring Roots:** This pine develops a deep taproot to find water and nutrients far underground, making it drought-resistant and stable. - **Phoenix Power:** Longleaf pine seeds need bare soil exposed by fire to sprout, ensuring new trees grow in healthy, open environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 3000-4700 cm - **Spread:** 600-1200 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Shelter:** Red-cockaded woodpecker (*Dryobates borealis*) — nests in cavities of living pines. - **Depends on:** [Gopher tortoise](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gopher-tortoise) (*Gopherus polyphemus*) — relies on open longleaf pine forests. - **Eats:** [Eastern fox squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) — consumes seeds from longleaf pine cones. - **Symbiotic with:** Wiregrass (*Aristida stricta*) — co-exists in fire-maintained habitats. ## Traits - [Coniferous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coniferous): Coniferous plants are typically evergreen, bearing needles or scales and reproductive cones. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Timber](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/timber): Timber refers to wood that has been prepared for use in building and carpentry. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Stay away from the sharp needles and branches when playing near these trees. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify longleaf pine? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is longleaf pine? 3000-4700 cm ### How wide does longleaf pine spread? 600-1200 cm ### When does longleaf pine bloom? Spring ### Is longleaf pine edible? No ### Is longleaf pine toxic? None ### What is longleaf pine's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is longleaf pine pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Bok Tower Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bok-tower-gardens) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Silver Springs](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/silver-springs) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Techwood Homes](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/techwood-homes) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Battles Wharf Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battles-wharf-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Bellingrath Gardens and Home](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellingrath-gardens-and-home) — Alabama, US · Botanical Garden - [Berry College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berry-college) — Georgia, US · Campus [View all places to see longleaf pine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/longleaf-pine) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Longleaf Pine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/longleaf-pine)