Longleaf Pine

Family: Pinacreae

Speices: Pinus palustris

Description: The Longleaf is the state tree of Alabama. This tree was an important source of turpentine and resin. The foliage is used as pine straw. It is also an important nesting tree for the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Height and Width: 134 ft

Leaves: Needles are fascicled, in groups of 3, very long (about 17 inches long), drooping, evergreen, and flexible.

Bark: is red-brown and plated

Cones: are about 11 inches long, brown-gray and armed with prickles. The seedlings can spend many years in a grass stage.

Twigs: are red-brown and scaly with prominent silvery white buds

Flowers: none

Fruit: none