Description
Keystone Value: The genus Pinus (Pine) supports over 200 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars, providing food for a variety of birds and mammals.
Loblolly Pine is a large evergreen tree often used as a wind and noise barrier as well as a visual screen due to its fast growth rate. Once it reaches its full height, Loblolly Pine makes an excellent shade tree. It prefers moist, poor-draining soil in full sun, and it can grow 40-90′. Its wildlife value is extensive. Loblolly Pine provides winter cover, and birds and small mammals eat the seeds from the cones. Additionally, large Loblolly Pines are important nesting sites for osprey and bald eagles. As a keystone species Loblolly Pine supports over 200 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars, including the Imperial Moth pictured above.
