The Long Leaf Pine, as the name suggest, grows pine needles as long as 18". Seed cones of the Longleaf Pine take almost twenty months to fully mature. Early development occurs mostly underground as the Longleaf Pine grows a long taproot which can be as long as the sapling's trunk. After 5-10 years the Longleaf Pine has a rapid vertical growth spurt and develops its tree-like appearance. Longleaf Pine seeds are large when compared to other pines and are favored by birds and squirrels. The Long Leaf Pine Tree was the most common shade tree in ancient American forests, a place where the pine nuts of the Long Leaf Pine Tree provide a good source of food for other wildlife.
The Long Leaf Pine Trees grow to the age of 300 years, a great deal of lumber can be harvested from a single tree. Squirrels and other wildlife like to make their nests in the branches of Long Leaf Pine Trees. Traditionally, the historical "yellow leaf pine" that was used to build great numbers of houses in cities and rural areas is known today as the Long Leaf Pine Tree. Its hard to stress the importance of the Long Leaf Pine Tree in the development of the early economy of the United States.
