Pines and Hemlock

Click on the name of the tree below the image to see details for that species.

This group of trees has five characteristics that make identification easy:

• They are evergreen (never lose their leaves);
• They grow needlelike or flat leaves (hemlocks);
• They produce cones;
• The wood is sticky (resinous); and
• The wood is soft.

Pine trees, especially loblollies, grow in abundance in Atlanta. It’s not uncommon to have a loblolly pine over 100 feet tall in a homeowner’s yard.

Unlike hardwoods, pine trees are limber by nature. They move and gyrate in the wind like a fly rod. This causes a lot of anxiety for homeowners, but their worry is actually unwarranted. Why? Pines are designed to sway in the wind. The taproot gives pines additional stability.

Pines have two big enemies. The first is the pine bark beetle. These tiny beetles can kill the entire tree. They usually attack during drought conditions. The second enemy is ice storms. Major ice storms can cause pines to shed branches or fall over. This kind of extreme storm is rare in Atlanta.

Pine trees are economically important because of all the products that can be produced from them, such as lumber and turpentine. They grow fast and are grown commercially in tree plantations.