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Loblolly Pine

The Pinus Taeda is commonly known as Arkansas Pine, Loblolly Pine, North Carolina Pine, Old Field Pine, as well as Shortleaf Pine

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Growing Regions

Loblolly pine is widely distributed in the southeastern United States from southern New Jersey to central Florida and west through the Gulf States to eastern Texas. It also occurs in southeastern Oklahoma, central Arkansas, and southern Tennessee. It is found in the Piedmont Plateau, the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the southern extent of the Cumberland Plateau, and the Valley-and-Ridge Province of the Appalachian Highlands [3,40].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of loblolly pine is Pinus taeda L. [40]. There are no recognized subspecies, varieties, or forms. Loblolly pine forms hybrids with shortleaf pine (P. echinata), longleaf pine (P. palustris), pitch pine (P. rigida), slash pine (P. elliottii), and pond pine (P. serotina) [3,40].

Published classifications listing loblolly pine as a dominant
species in community types are presented below.

Eastern deciduous forest, Vol. 1: Southeastern evergreen and
  oak-pine region [58]
Plant communities of the Coastal Plain of North Carolina and their
  successional relations [65] 
The natural communities of South Carolina [67]

Common overstory associates of loblolly pine include southern red oak
(Quercus falcata), white oak (Q. alba), blackjack oak (Q. marilandica),
post oak (Q. stellata), water oak (Q. nigra), willow oak (Q. phellos),
laurel oak (Q. laurifolia), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), persimmon
(Diospyros virginiana), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), spruce pine
(Pinus glabra), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), red maple (Acer rubrum),
southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), American elm (Ulmus
americana), water hickory (Carya aquatica) and white and Carolina ash
(Fraxinus americana and F. caroliniana) [3].

Common understory shrubs and trees include flowering dogwood (Cornus
florida), American holly (Ilex opaca), inkberry (I. glabra), yaupon (I.
vomitoria), hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), southern bayberry (Myrica
cerifera), pepperbush (Clethra spp.), and sumac (Rhus spp.) [3]. 

Common herbaceous species include bluestem (Andropogon spp.), panicum
(Panicum spp.), sedges (Carex spp. and Cyperus spp.), and fennel
(Eupatorium spp.) [3].

Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Carey, Jennifer H. 1992. Pinus taeda. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.

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