Let's Revive Our Majestic Pine Tree Canopy

Today the most prevalent species of pines are slash, loblolly and shortleaf. These species have come to dominate after humans decimated the original longleaf pine forest. The resinous timber was excellent for many uses including building construction and boat building.

The prehistoric longleaf pine forest covered most of the uplands from east Texas across the southeastern coastal plain up to southern Virginia and down peninsular Florida. We are down to approximately one percent of the untouched virgin longleaf ecosystem. With replanting on private and public lands we are at about 10 percent of the original acreage.

Pines are very desirable. They provide a light shade that lawns can thrive under and 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. Seed bearing cones are an important source of food for birds and mammals.

The pollen cones of a slash pine have an unusual purple color. (Photo: Lilly Anderson-Messec)

Pines are great structures for the nests of hawks, kites and bald eagles among many others. It’s a special treat to watch an eagle perched high in a pine at local lakes or the Gulf coast. Red-shouldered hawks have nested in a tall pine in our parking lot for the last few years.

Between lightening strikes, hurricane losses and irrational fear of pines the region is loosing its pine canopy. As owner of a retail garden center, I see that customers buy probably 500 hardwood trees for every one pine tree. The old pines are not being replaced.

On our Centerville Road property, we have lost some grand old pines mostly due to lightening strikes and resultant pine bark beetles. Each time we replace the missing pine with a young one – sometimes longleaf, sometimes spruce pine.

The Gopher tortoise is a currently threatened keystone species that relies on healthy pine forests for habitat. Photo by Lilly Anderson-Messec (Photo: Lilly Anderson-Messec)

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.

I prefer to plant longleaf since it is less common and it is a strong, long lived tree reaching ages of 300 years. No, I won’t be around to see it into old age but I am planting for future generations.

For lightly shaded spots, plant a spruce pine because it is shade tolerant. It is a soft, graceful, short needled tree with small cones. If you have space, plant a small grove of pines. Their proximity to each other will help protect them during high winds.

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

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

The Trees in Your Yard are Part of the Urban Forest

There are many reasons to preserve and manage forests and the trees within. Trees cool us. They give us oxygen. They are carbon sinks. They filter pollution. They buffer sound. Trees provide beauty and a sense of place and promote mental well being. They provide wildlife habitat.

American Beech beginning to show it’s fall foliage. Photo by Lilly Anderson-Messec

We are fortunate to live in a region that includes the large St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, the vast Apalachicola National Forest, many state parks, forests and wildlife management areas, most of which contain well managed forests. We know how important these large holdings are to both resident and migratory birds. But how important is our urban forest to birds? Tallahassee’s urban forest is made up of trees in your yard, in my yard and throughout residential and commercial areas including local park land and school yards.

Let’s take a look at just one in-town yard in the Doomar Drive area and see how birds are doing there. When Ann and Don Morrow bought their home over 25 years ago, the house was shaded by a grove of shortleaf pine trees which surround the house and a few big sweetgums. As biologists, they understood the importance of trees to birds, particularly this pine grove. These large pines and hardwoods harbor abundant insects which are then eaten by birds – warblers, woodpeckers, wrens and many more – throughout the year. They also understood that pines in a grove like this move together and protect each other during storms. In all these years, through several hurricanes, their grove of pines has stood.

Over the years, they have encouraged the natural seeding and growth of other species such as black cherry and have planted a diversity of trees – red buckeye, American beech, blue beech, Florida sugar maple, silverbell to mention a few. Their yard is now beautifully forested.

Red Buckeye blooms in spring, just as migrating hummingbirds return from South America. Photo by Lilly Anderson-Messec

Don, an avid birder, has recorded 121 species of birds in or flying above their yard. Feeding guilds of nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, warblers and downy woodpeckers move along the limbs of trees hunting for insects. Flycatchers and gnatcatchers capture flying insects above the branches.   Mississippi kites have nested high in the pines. Goldfinch and pine siskins cling to sweetgum balls to eat the tiny sweetgum seeds. Without this diverse forest, they would have far fewer birds.

Most people in Tallahassee realize the value of a healthy urban forest and, for that reason, we now have an urban forester who will oversee an evaluation of the current state of our urban forest and the development of a plan to protect, increase and manage the forest in the future – the Urban Forest Master Plan.

Pollinator favorites: Anise hyssop and African blue basil draw a crowd

Herb gardeners are well aware that bees love herbs – their flowers almost vibrate with activity as summer arrives. Lavender, thyme, rosemary, mint, oregano, borage, and bee balm are all favorites among the bees.

However, the two that seem to attract the most attention are anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) and African blue basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum). Both are carefree herbs with so many endearing characteristics for pollinators and humans alike.

Anise hyssop is a tender perennial that reaches up to four feet tall and around one to two feet wide, thriving in full sun and average, well-drained soil. With pale purple flower spikes, it's a very attractive candidate for the herb or butterfly garden. This stately plant will not only buzz with bees of all types, but moths and hummingbirds too.

Anise Hyssop, “all-star bee plant,” enhances gardens and landscapes. (Photo: Elizabeth Georges)

Historically, mass plantings of anise hyssop were established in parts of the Midwest specifically as a honey plant. Nineteenth century beekeeper accounts claimed that a single acre could provide ample forage for 100 colonies of honeybees. Besides being an all-star bee plant, the fragrant leaves make a lovely anise scented tea or syrup. The individual blossoms could even adorn a salad.

African blue basil is a sterile hybrid of an East African camphor basil and a standard garden variety called ‘Dark Opal’. It produces leaves that are rich green with deep purple venation, and long purple stems sending up spikes of delicate lavender blossoms.

Unable to produce seeds of its own, this herb is easily grown from cuttings and works great as a standalone shrub or a border plant in full to part sun. It’s considered a tender perennial and will not survive a frost. It can be overwintered inside if grown in a pot, then planted in the ground come spring.

The amount of pollinator activity on this selection makes it a benefit to any garden – from European honeybees, to native solitary bees and beneficial wasps – African blue basil is simply alive with pollinators when in bloom.

The leaves exude a musky camphor-laced flavor that may be too pungent and less appealing to those who are familiar with more traditional basil flavors. I find it flavors pesto and sauces nicely and makes a stunning addition to herbal vinegars and scented oils.

Tiny metallic green sweat bee visiting African blue basil. Photo by Elizabeth Georges. African blue basil blooms are very attractive to many native bees and beneficial wasps. (Photo: Elizabeth Georges)

As well as being beneficial for native bees and other pollinators, African blue basil and anise hyssop are very easy to grow – no special herb garden necessary. You can plant them in the existing landscape, mixed with other native wildflowers and ornamentals, or you can plant them in a pot.

Attracting wildlife, in this case our very special pollinators, takes a little extra work, but the effort is worth it when you see and hear the hum of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths visiting your herbs. Have a go and you will be amazed how much life you will attract with just a few plants.