Loblolly Pine State Trees of Arkansas

The State tree of Arkansas is the Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda). This tree is also known as old field pine, shortleaf pine, North Carolina pine, and Arkansas pine. This conifer can be found in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. It is hardy in Zones 6B through 9.

The leaf bundles can be 12 inches long and contain 3-4 needles each. There are both male and female pine cones. The yellow pollen covering nearby plant life and structures is a common scene in the South during April.

The loblolly pine is seen in mixed forests with oak, hickory, palmetto, sweetgum, and other pine trees. The shorter understory trees near this conifer include Common understory shrubs and trees include flowering dogwood, holly, hawthorn, bayberry, pepperbush, and sumac. It can grow to a mature height of 100 feet, with a diameter of 24-30 inches, and a canopy reaches out 30 feet.

The tree prefers full sun, acidic moist soil, high rainfall, and frost-free temperatures. It is a rapid grower, sometimes 2-3 feet per year. If planted in urban areas, the roots can grow above the surface and lift sidewalks and driveways.

The loblolly pine has commercial value as cut timber for lumber. Approximately 3/4 million acres are harvested annually in the Southeast US. Reforestation is accomplished through natural reseeding or direct planting of seeds on soil that has been disturbed and exposed through prescribed burning or mechanical tilling. The conifer is also prized as a wind break when planted in rows or massed.

The conifer has helped reclamation efforts in mining areas where it is co-planted with ground covers. The loblolly is useful in stabilizing soil along gullies and floodplains. It is considered fire-resistant and is seen early in the new growth following forest fires.

In forested areas, the loblolly is a food source for birds and rodents. Songbirds feast on the seeds including the pine warbler, brown-headed nuthatch, and Bachman's warbler. Small seedlings are eaten by local deer. The dead heartwood center of old growth trees is the nesting site of the red-cockaded woodpecker which is an endangered species. Older, taller trees are home to ospreys and the bald eagle.

The loblolly pine has several predators. The southern pine beetle, pine engraver beetle, pine tip moth all make their homes in the tree's core. The pine is also susceptible to rust and root rot. The Kudzu vine can smother and kill a healthy tree.

Sources

Pinus taeda, US Forest Service, http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pintae/all.html
Pinus taeda, University of Florida, http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/PINTAEA.pdf
Pinus taeda, Duke University, http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/pita.html
Pinus taeda, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/pinus/taeda.htm