Prescribed burn photo in Longleaf Pine Forest

Longleaf Establishment​

Where does longleaf grow?

Longleaf seedling
Most longleaf pine is planted
using container seedlings.

Historically longleaf pine was found throughout the coastal plain and piedmont of North Carolina. Fire and moisture were the principal factors controlling longleaf distribution within its natural range.

Longleaf pine will establish following a disturbance (such as a fire or a canopy opening from a storm) but is intolerant of competition. Without periodic fires, competing vegetation will overtake young longleaf and eventually change the structure and composition of the forest.

Longleaf pine can grow on a wide variety of soil types but is most often found in soils that are sandy on the surface, low in organic matter, light colored and medium to strongly acidic. Longleaf grows well on soils where drainage is good to excessive but can also grow well in areas that are seasonally wet if they are not saturated for a long time. Longleaf does not tolerate frequent flooding and struggles to become established in high quality and heavy-textured clay soils.

Natural Regeneration

Seedling establishment in longleaf forest
Natural regeneration of longleaf seedlings can create a multi-age stand.

If your site already contains mature longleaf in the canopy, you may be able to rehabilitate your stand to using natural regeneration much quicker and with less cost compared to artificial regeneration.

Natural regeneration relies on older pine trees left on the land to provide seed to regenerate the site. This practice can only be employed if the site has not yet been harvested and has a seed source of the desired species. Natural regeneration can be a component of an even-aged management system or un-even aged management system.

Artificial Regeneration

Artificial regeneration is the establishment of trees from seed or seedlings brought on site by man expressly for the purposes of reforestation (forest establishment on land that had recent tree cover such as a recent harvested site or a cutover) or afforestation (forest establishment in an area not recently forested such as an old field or pasture). The resulting stand of trees will be even-aged.

The specific steps you need to successfully establish longleaf will differ depending on your starting point. The conditions of the site prior to planting will determine specific site preparation needs and associated costs.