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Characteristics
 Family-
Pinaceae--The Pine Family
- Origin
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Native NC
- Plant Description
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Evergreen tree
- Coastal Ecology
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Pinus palustris is the Longleaf pine. The specific epithet palustris means "growing in wet, marshy areas," and longleaf is found forming pure stands on low, wet soils in the Coastal Plain, but grows equally well on drier sites. Longleaf pine is a most distinctive conifer, growing to a height of 80 to 100 feet. Before Colonial days, Longleaf pine had an extensive range of 82 million acres in the southeast; but today due to fire suppression and land clearing only 1 percent of this acreage is left. Longleaf pine has the longest needles of any coastal pine, from 10 to 15 inches in length, with 3 or occasionally 4 needles per bundle; and large, finger-like, silvery white dormant stems called candles which have lacy-edged bud scales. The cones of Longleaf pine are the largest of the coastal pines, measuring 6 to 10 inches in length.
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