The Different Types of Pine Trees
Tennessee is famous for its mountains and miles of green trees. Tennessee Nursery is also the place to shop for all your horticultural needs, large and small. If you want to add a few trees to your property if you are planning a major reforestation project, or even if you are planting trees for a future timber harvesting project, come see us. We offer an outstanding selection of trees and foliage to suit your need.
If you are in the market for pine trees, please take a little time to check out our assortment of beautiful pines. Our knowledgeable, helpful salespeople will be glad to help you find the pine trees that will thrive best in your climate. Pine is an important wood source for timber and is considered the most important tree in the Southeastern United States. All pine trees are not the same. If you want pine, but you’re not sure which is the best for your needs, please read the info on some of the varieties we offer:
Loblolly Pine
The loblolly pine is classified by the wood industry as a Southern yellow pine. It gets its name from the words “lob” and “lolly.” “Lob” is a word for thick, heavy food like porridge or oatmeal bubbling in a pot. “Lolly” is an old British word for food that is boiled, like soup or broth. The word “loblolly” refers to a swampy area like a mudhole or mire. The loblolly pine is the second-most common tree in the United
States, after the red maple. The loblolly is also known as Old field pine, rosemary pine, India pine, bull pine, long straw pine (possibly because of its long needles), and North Carolina pine.
Range and Ideal Environment For Pine Trees
The loblolly is generally found in swampy areas. It thrives best in climates with summers that are hot and humid, winters that are short and mild, and an annual rainfall of 40–60 inches. It is commonly found in the South, from Texas east to Florida, as well as the mid-to-southern part of the Eastern Seaboard.
Physical Characteristics of Pine Trees
The loblolly usually grows to 98–115 feet in height. It also grows rapidly, about two feet per year. It has a lifespan of about 100 years. The needles grow to about 6–9 inches, and the cones are 3–6 inches in length. The diameter of the loblolly may vary from 1.3 to 4.9 feet.
Uses
Wildlife enjoys the loblolly. It has provided nesting sites for various birds, including the bald eagle, osprey, and red-cockaded woodpecker. The wood from the loblolly is also sturdy and can be used for furniture and construction, as well as crates, boxes, and pallets.
Spruce Pine Trees
Intro: The spruce pine is also found in the South, yet is also found on the West Coast and along the southern regions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. It is also one of the least common types of pines in the Southeast.
Range and Ideal Environment
The spruce is also a Southern tree, but its habitat is smaller than that of the loblolly. It can be found in Gulf Coast areas stretching from eastern Louisiana to northern Florida and on the Eastern Seaboard to southern South Carolina. It also does not occur largely in pure pine forests. Rather, scattered or isolated spruce pines can be found amid hardwood forests of mixed trees in moist climates.
Physical Characteristics
The spruce is also slightly smaller than the loblolly, growing to about 65–100 feet with a trunk diameter of 2–3 feet. Its needles are dark green and soft and grow to 2–3 inches in length. The cones on the spruce pine grow to 2.5 inches in diameter.
Uses
Spruce being a Southern Yellow Pine, it is sturdy and used for heavy construction, including bridges, beams, poles, and railroad ties. It is also useful for plywood, wood pulp, and veneers.
This tree became rare due to heavy logging in the 1800s, and recovery was slow. Today it is popular as a landscape tree due to its pleasing, Christmas-tree appearance.
Range and Ideal Environment
The white pine has a range from Manitoba in central Canada generally through the eastern half of the United States through parts of Ohio and South along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and South Carolina. It grows in acidic, moist, well-drained soils, though it has also been known to tolerate dry, rocky ridges and bogs. Yet it can be damaged by air pollution and road salt.
Physical Characteristics
The white pine usually grows 50–80 feet high and up to 50 feet wide and makes an excellent windbreak. It also has a normal life span of 200 years and may survive to 450 years, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Uses
Wildlife, such as black bears, rabbits, and red squirrels, enjoy the seeds. Beavers, snowshoe hares, and porcupines are also known to eat the bark, though it potentially damages the tree. Many birds also use it for nesting sites. It is also favored by woodworkers for ease of working. The needles also have more Vitamin C than lemons and oranges and make excellent herbal tea.
Yellow Pine
This term refers to a group of different conifer species, including Jeffrey, Ponderosa, longleaf, shortleaf, slash, and loblolly.
Range and Ideal Environment
The Jeffrey Pine and the Ponderosa pine are found in the Western United States, while the longleaf pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine, and loblolly is more commonly found in the South. These pines do well in the acidic red clay of the South, yet they can also tolerate poorer soil and colder climates.
Physical Characteristics
The Jeffrey pine can grow up to 180 feet with a 7-foot trunk diameter, while a cultivated Ponderosa pine can grow to 60 feet with a branch spread of 25 feet. The longleaf pine is tall and slender. It can reach heights of 98–115 feet and a diameter of twenty-eight inches. The shortleaf, somewhat smaller and stouter, can reach to 65–100 feet with a trunk diameter of about 1.5 to 3 feet. A mature slash pine can reach 75 to 100 feet.
Uses
This wood is used extensively for construction due to its strength. It is used for dimensional lumber and plywood products, as well as wooden roller coasters and utility poles.
Contact us for more information to help you decide which trees are right for you. We look forward to serving you and meeting your needs!
Originally published at https://www.tnnursery.net.
