"Small Opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises." -- Demosthenes

Pinetum Babies

As of the 2000  year-end, six species of pines have spontaneously reproduced at the Pearson Creek Unit. These are Pinus taeda (loblolly pine), Pinus virginiana (virginia pine), Pinus rigida (pitch pine)and Pinus resinosa (red pine), Pinus banksiana (jack pine) and Pinus echinata (shortleaf pine). The age of the adult trees when their seedlings were first discovered for these three were:

• loblolly -- 22 years;
• virginia -- 12 years;
• pitch -- 17 years;
• red -- 19 years;
• jack -- 17 years;
• shortleaf -- 17 years.

The lack of bare ground, which is necessary for most pine seeds to germinate, probably has retarded the sprouting of new seedlings. The Pearson Creek Unit has most of the ground either grass- or pine needle duff-covered and this presents hard competition for new seedlings. Also the pine webworm (Tetraloafia robusta) has a predilection for new pines and can kill then before they're discovered. In addition, like all new babies, they need some protection from the sun and are not likely (loblolly excepted) to survive July-August in any site with full sun exposure.

There are likely some seedlings present that haven't been discovered since little time has been spent searching for them. It suspected that it will be just a matter of time before reproduction is seen with the P. strobus (eastern white), P. ponderosa (ponderosa pine), P. pungens (tablemountain pine), P. contorta latifolia (lodgepole pine) and others. I have seen reproduction of Eastern White pine in this area, but not at the pinetum. Future new babies discoverd at the pinetum will be reported on this site.

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