In April I discovered the nest of an American Crow high in a mature loblolly pine tree in our back yard. The nest is an accumulation of sticks attached firmly to two large limbs close to the top of the tree. I watched an adult crow hop into the nest, but they were for the most part quite secretive over the entire nesting period.

This reinforces what I have known for years – the importance of mature pine trees in our urban forest. At Native Nurseries in Tallahassee where I worked for 40 years, Red-shouldered Hawks nested repetitively in three different mature pine trees over the years. We watched the parents haul in snakes, crawfish, and frogs to feed their young. In my neighborhood we have observed Mississippi Kite and Cooper’s Hawk nests, again, always high in pine trees. But honestly, I had no idea where crows nested until I saw this crow in my back yard. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s All About Birds website notes that crows prefer to nest in conifers but will nest in deciduous trees when conifers are less available.

Unfortunately, between lightning strikes, hurricane losses, and irrational fear of pines, suburban and urban Florida is losing its pine canopy. At the nursery, we observed that customers bought perhaps one hundred hardwood trees for every one pine tree. The old pines are not being replaced. On our nursery property, we have lost grand old pines mostly due to lightning strikes and resultant pine bark beetles. Each time we replace the missing pine with a young one.

The home of Ann and Don Morrow is nestled beneath a lovely grove of pine trees which is an important feature of their wildlife habitat yard where 89 species of birds have been observed. Photo by Ann Morrow.

To plant a pine, choose a sunny area. If you are at the Gulf coast, choose a slash pine which is the most salt tolerant species. Most typical soils around Tallahassee support loblolly, shortleaf, longleaf, slash, and spruce pine. We prefer to plant longleaf since it is less common and it is a strong, long lived tree reaching ages of 300 years. No, I will not be around to see it, but we are planting for future generations.

Spruce pines are somewhat shade tolerant. They have soft short needles and small cones and have a very graceful shape, often holding on to their lower branches for many years, unlike the other species of pines.

If you have space, plant a small grove of pines. Their proximity to each other will help protect them during high winds. Friends Ann and Don Morrow live in the Melody Hills neighborhood beneath a handsome grove of pine trees. They have lived here for over 30 years and have never had a branch fall on the house. In high winds the trees sway together in the wind supporting each other.

The best tree planting time is November through February. Start small with six-inch bare root trees to ones growing in three-gallon pots.

Pines are very desirable. They provide a light shade that native understory trees and shrubs prefer. They provide free mulch every autumn for use in landscape beds. They are long lived and make excellent carbon sinks. They harbor a world of insects that become food for birds. According to the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder, 171 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars use pines as a host plant in the Tallahassee area. This is significant during bird nesting season as the high-quality protein of caterpillars is the preferred food for nestlings. In addition, seed bearing cones are an important source of food for birds and mammals.

Pines are such beautiful, stately trees. I love to listen to the wind rustling through their needles. Let’s start planting more pines in our yards and parks. Wildlife and future generations will reap the rewards.