What kind of pine do I have in my backyard and why have all the pine needles fallen off ??

[mawipafl]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Are you sure you're not also seeing cypress trees? They lose their cone shape and get more flat topped when they get older.

Both Longleaf and Slash pines are evergreen (unless they're dead).

<smacking my forehead and uttering very large duhs> thank you southernnaturelover - of course they're cypress - pond cypress to be exact (now that I've seen heydade's graphic showing the difference between pond and bald cypress needles) - I should know better! Silly me presumed all the long needles all over my yard came from the naked trees, when in fact they didn't. And what's more silly is that every time my dog goes out he gets covered in pond cypress needles (now that I know what they are) that stick to him like Velcro.

Indeed, in the row of trees behind my house are the naked trees mixed in with the long needled evergreens (slash pine? long leaf? loblolly? don't know.) which do remain green year round.

I've not ventured into the mini forest too often since it's home to a great crop of poison ivy. But now I have the curiosity to explore to get more up-close-and-personal with the trees and look for some knees.

[si33]

Another more distantly related tree similar to both the pond and Bald cypress is the Dawn redwood...Metasequoia glyptostroboides which will take tempertures ranging from -15 to about 105..

Ive seen a couple spectacular examples of this tree in the past and it is truely massive..but none the less an awesome sight, especially when bare in winter..

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by si33

Another more distantly related tree similar to both the pond and Bald cypress is the Dawn redwood...Metasequoia glyptostroboides which will take tempertures ranging from -15 to about 105..

Ive seen a couple spectacular examples of this tree in the past and it is truely massive..but none the less an awesome sight, especially when bare in winter..

Just a note, the Dawn Redwood was introduced from China, so it's unlikely anyone would see them in the woods. They're almost always planted specimens.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by mawipafl

Thank you southernnaturelover ... and my next question: what other kind(s) of "needle" tree loses its needles in 'winter'? Slash pine? Long leaf pine? I have a grove of them behind me -- in winter they shed most of their needles so that there are just clumps left that look like hanging bats.

Larch. Larch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Gerania

Larch. Larch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yeah but you won't find those in the south, they're northern trees.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by mawipafl

Thank you southernnaturelover ... I have a grove of them behind me --

Well, I missed that part first time around.

[Sillypups]

We have many white pines in our yard.
These pines (needles) always turn redish-brown in Fall/Winter & the needles drop.
Come Spring, new green needles.

Good Luck