Photographer & Copyright

© Ken-ichi Ueda

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CC BY 4.0

Inclusion in Plant ID / Comparison Guides

This photo is featured in 2 plant ID/comparison guides:

collage of Loblolly Pine and Slash Pine

Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) vs. Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii)

Updated January 24th, 2023

These pines are sometimes confused; both grow on wet, poorly-drained sites and have needles of roughly similar length. They are easily distinguished by bark and growth habit, and can also usually be distinguished by needle count and characteristics of fresh cones. P. taeda ranges farther north and is less fire-tolerant, whereas P. elliotti ranges farther south and is more fire-tolerant.

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collage of Shortleaf Pine and Loblolly Pine

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) vs. Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)

Updated January 7th, 2023

These pines have a large area of range overlap, can occur in the same habitat, and are often confused. Both have red-brown bark with irregular rectangular plates. They can be distinguished by needle and cone length, presence of resin pockets in bark, and differences in form. P. echinata ranges farther north, is more common on dry uplands, and is more restricted to well-drained sites and leached, nutrient-poor soils with less competing vegetation. P. taeda is more common on moist bottomlands, prefers nutrient-rich soils where there is more competing vegetation, tolerates poorly-drained sites, and ranges farther south and slightly farther west.

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