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Forest Service Shares Longleaf Pines During Arbor Day Event
January 15, 2015
The Florida Forest Service and Escambia County Forester Cathy Hardin distributed free longleaf pine seedlings Wednesday in Century and Walnut Hill in recognition of Arbor Day.
Only a small percentage of the pine trees in the Southeast are longleaf. Many people turn to planting much faster growing loblolly or slash pines, looking for a faster return on their timber investment.
A year after planting, longleaf seedlings can still only be a foot tall, meanwhile a slash or loblolly of the same age may already be two or three feet tall.
A longleaf pine has a unique growth stage called the grass stage when it is fire resistant. When fire is introduced to the growing tip, or the bud, it is protected under a thick arrangement of needles near ground level. While the bud is protected at this stage, the tree concentrates its resources these first few years developing a root system instead of height growth. This allows for rapid growth after a fire due to the well-established root system.
The longleaf pine is far more resistant to disease, tornadoes and hurricanes that destroy other southern pines. Because of its resilience, it is not uncommon for longleaf trees to live for 150 years or more. The longevity of longleaf pine allow the stands to provide a variety of different habitats.
Pictured top: Escambia County Forester Cathy Hardin discusses longleaf pines with producer Ellis Mason during an Arbor Day Event Wednesday in Walnut Hill. Pictured inset: Hardin explains how to plant a longleaf pine seedling. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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