The yellow, resinous wood is used for lumber and pulp. Boards cut years ago from virgin timber are very wide (up to 1m) and a thriving salvage business obtains these boards from demolition projects, to be reused as flooring in upscale homes.

This tree is also known as Southern yellow pine or Longleaf yellow pine. It grows on well-drained soil, usually sandy, sometimes in pure stands. The Longleaf pine ranges along the coastal plain from Louisiana to South Carolina.

Longleaf pine is highly resistant to fire. Periodic burning selects for this species, by killing other trees, leading to Longleaf pine forests or more open savannas. The latter especially tend to be rich in biodiversity. Longleaf pines seeds are large and nutritious forming a significant food source for birds and other wildlife.

Pinus palustris
Longleaf pine: grass stage
Georgetown, South Carolina

Vast forests of Longleaf pine once were present along the southeastern Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast of North America. These forests were the source of naval stores - resin, turpentine, and timber - needed by merchants and the navy for their ships. They have been cutover since, for timber (usually replaced with faster growing Loblolly pine and Slash pine, for agriculture, and for urban/suburban development. Only about 3 per cent of the original forest remains, and little new is planted.

Pinus palustris
Longleaf pine forest
Georgetown, South Carolina