Longleaf Pine

Pinus palustris

row of tall, skinny longleaf pines
“Kisatchie Hills Longleaf Pines” by Justin Meissen, via Flickr. (cropped from original) CC BY-SA 2.0.
close-up of the longleaf pine's long needles
“Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris)” by harum.koh, via Flickr. (cropped from original) CC BY-SA 2.0.

Ecological Benefits: supports more than 30 species which are endangered/threatened, resilient to climate change

Bloom period: winter

Best Areas for Planting: low-medium moisture; full sun; acid-based soils that are deep, coarse, and sandy

Natural Habitat: can be found in dry, open habitats, sand ridges, and coastal plains

Most of the species information is from The Virginia Native Plant Society website, which offers free, extensive pdfs for each region of Virginia, highlighting about 100 native species (there are many more!) and helpful additional information for planning personal projects. If you aren’t from Virginia, you can search for similar resources in your state! To explore other resources and advice, navigate to the guidance page.

Visit the homepage to explore other sites and learn more about native plants.