We planted this mail-order pine, from Nearly Native Nursery, in April 2014. It has thrived in our yard and put on significant growth each year.
Initially it had needles all the way down to the base of the trunk but lost the lower needles after a few months while the top grew upwards very rapidly. The only problem this tree has endured is a severe case of black sooty-mold covering most of the needles in 2014. This mold was growing on honeydew excreted by an enormous swarm of love-bugs which smothered the tree for a couple of months - I didn't spray the tree because I thought the love-bugs would do no harm. I ended up having to re-stake this tree as it had become so tall and top heavy.
On August 25-26th 2017, when Hurricane Harvey side-swiped us, there were some strong winds and rain during the night - the main victim in the yard was the Longleaf Pine, which, despite being staked, was tilted over at an angle of 45 degrees, the stake on the East side having been bent at the base. I straightened it out with a more heavy duty stake, hoping not too much root damage had occurred. The only other tree to get tilted was the Cedar Elm, but only by about 20 degrees. The tree remained healthy and grew steadily in 2018 and 2019, but still needs its stakes as it still behaves a bit like a ball-and-socket joint. |
Longleaf Pine (early July 2021)
Longleaf Pine (early July 2020)
Longleaf Pine (end of June 2019)
Longleaf Pine (July 2018)
Longleaf Pine (July 2017)
Longleaf Pine (July 2016)
Longleaf Pine (spring 2014)
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