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A Look at Three Pines: Loblolly, Longleaf, and Slash
In today’s post we are going to compare three pine trees: loblolly (Pinus taeda), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), and slash pine (Pinus elliottii). They are all pines that can be found in Texas. We’ll look at them by different characteristics so you can learn more about how they are similar and different.
Deciduous or Evergreen
All three pines are evergreen trees. They generally retain their needles throughout the winter.
Overall Shape
Although it can vary greatly from tree to tree, when they are older, loblolly pines can have branches that start around a third of the way up the tree and spread out to form a canopy with a cone shape. Longleaf pines can have branches that start about halfway up the tree, with an overall shape to the canopy that can be more cylindrical. Slash pines can have branches that start around the upper third of the tree, with a canopy that has a round shape.
Height and Trunk Diameter
All three trees can grow large in terms of height and trunk diameter. Loblolly and longleaf pines can grow more than 100 feet tall with a trunk that can get to be four feet across. Slash pines can get to a similar height but have trunks that can be smaller, growing to be around three feet across.
Needles
Loblolly pine needles come in bundles that contain three needles each. The needles range in length from five to ten inches and have a blue/green color.
Longleaf pine needles are glossy and long. The needle bundles are made up of three needles like the loblolly pine, but they are longer, ranging in length from ten to eighteen inches. The needles grow at the end of twigs that are scaly and thick.
Slash pine needles are a dark shiny shade of green. They come in groups of two or three. They are five to ten inches in length and are stiff. They grow in a spiral around young twigs.
The Bark
On loblolly pines, the bark ranges in color from red/brown to nearly black. It is thick and broken into plates that flake with deep spaces between them.
On longleaf pines, the bark forms large brown/red plates with deep grooves between them.
On slash pines, the bark can grow to be two inches in thickness on mature trees. It breaks apart into plates. It is red in color to orange/brown with furrows in between the plates.
The Cones
Loblolly pine cones have no stalk. They range in size from around three to five to three inches in length, have a red/brown color, and have scales with sharp points. They take 2 years to reach maturity.
Longleaf pines have woody cones. They range in size from half a foot to a foot and have a slight curve. They have scales with points. The cone bases are left on the tree’s twigs after the cones fall.
Slash pine cones are woody and range in size from four to six inches in length. They are glossy and brown in color with scales that are thick and have sharp points.
Conelets
On loblolly pines, male conelets are yellow/green in color and can also be purple. They get to be around two inches in length and appear in the spring at the ends of smaller branches. The female cones are about ½ inch in length, and yellow in color.
On longleaf pines, the conelets appear at the start of spring, prior to new needle growth. The male ones are red/purple, in clusters, and grow to be two inches in length. The female ones are not very noticeable, and are in groups ranging from two to four at the end of branches.
On slash pines, the conelets appear at the end of winter. The male ones are purple/brown in color, have a length of one or more inches, and have pollen that’s yellow. The female ones are pink and form on small stalks.
If you liked learning about loblolly, longleaf, and slash pines, check out our other posts on our TrueTreeTalk blog. We have a similar post looking at the leaves of four oaks. Follow us on Facebook to keep up with these and other posts.
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ArborTrue is a science-based tree-service company in the greater Houston area. We provide a range of services including tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, tree planting, arborist consultations, and more. Call us today at 832-980-8733 or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment.
