Longleaf Pine, Georgia Pine, Southern Yellow Pine

we have a small specimen of a longleaf pine its about 10 inches tall it seems to be doing fine this far north

Longleaf Pine appears to be completely hardy here in Wilmington, Delaware (Zone 7a). I planted a small 2-foot specimen and in 5 years, i...Read Moret is already around 15 feet tall. When in sandy soil, transplanted Longleafs sometimes have a problem of windthrow (blowing over) because transplants may not always develop the proper taproot for stability. However, planted in the heavy clay soil here, my specimen seems very firmly established and has so far shown no sign of being blown over, despite the open exposed spot it is planted in. As some have mentioned, this species is not well adapted to snow and ice. For that reason, a southern exposure is advisable in Zone 7 so the ice and snow will melt off of it more quickly.

Beautiful tree butI would not recommend it to those living N of Baltimore or Wilmington DE; because of snow and ice! We own one in SE PA ...Read More15 miles WNW of Lancaster, 75 miles from Baltimore and Philadelphia; and it requires a lot of roping and stakes to even keep it reasonably straight-growing.

This is definitely the tree that "built the south". It is very majestic with its needles up to 18 inches long. It has been said that back...Read More in the days of the virgin longleaf pine forests, that you could hear the singing of the trees in the wind.

For anyone who wants a pine tree in the south, you should consider this tree. It has a massive taproot that makes it very windfirm, it is drought tolerant, and it is more resistant to pine beetles than the other southern pines.