Loblolly Pine is very common on the southern Coastal Plain of Maryland but is uncommon north of Anne Arundel and Queen Anne's counties. It is the dominant tree at the transition zone between salt marsh and woodland.
The needles are long (5-7") and in bundles of three.
Loblolly is the dominant pine species on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. It occurs naturally, but is also grown commercially there in large plantations.
Many species, such as the Brown-headed Nuthatch, are dependent on Loblolly Pine forest. This nuthatch forages for insects and spiders through loose pine bark. Its nests, which are in cavities, especially in older pines, are made mostly of pine-seed wings, and pine seeds make up most of its winter diet. The bird’s association with pines, particularly mature ones, may make it a good indicator species for the health of pine forests of the southeastern United States, where mature pines have been extensively logged and young pines planted in their place, to be harvested before reaching maturity.
The Yellow-throated Warbler, a breeding bird in Maryland, is "found in swamps and pine woods, especially loblolly pines more than 25 ft (7.6 m) tall in the southern and eastern part of the state...." (Robbins and Blom, 1996).
Host to various moth species including Southern Pine Sphinx, Rusty Pine Cone Moth, Shortleaf Pinecone Borer Moth, European Pine Shoot Moth, Nantucket Pine Tip Moth, and Pitch Pine Tip Moth, [***Add link to Rhyacionia aktita] (Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants; Gilligan, Wright, & Gibson, 2008).
There are 503 records in the project database.
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