Longleaf Pine: Guidance for Seed Transfer Within the Eastern United States

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) is a shade-intolerant conifer tree that occurs across the Southern United States from southeast Texas in the west to southeast Virginia in the east. The species and its associated ecosystem have declined sharply over the last several decades due to absence of fire and replacement with southern pines that have faster growth and higher reproductive potential. Genetic diversity of longleaf pine is high and population structure is low, with very little geographic-based differentiation. Seeds can be moved from a warmer to a colder hardiness zone (up to 5 °F [2.8 °C] lower average annual minimum temperature) to increase growth relative to local sources. Brown-spot needle blight is the most damaging disease of longleaf pine, contributing to seedling mortality in some cases. Damage from fusiform rust and southern pine beetle are generally minor compared with damage to loblolly pine (P. taeda L.), a common associated species. In the future, longleaf pine is likely to increase within its current range because of its tolerance to fire, drought, and wind and the increasing restoration planting efforts, but shade intolerance will hamper its success on stands with moderate to heavy hardwood competition.

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Author(s): Carolyn C. Pike, C. Dana Nelson

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 66, Number 2 (2023)

Volume: 66

Number: 2