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Longleaf Pine

Longleaf Encouraged to Thrive on Preserve Land

Recently, Callaway Gardens® placed a conservation easement on 2507 acres of property through the Forest Legacy program. Most of this land is along the Pine Mountain Ridge. One of the obligations of the easement is to manage the forest wisely.

This tract contains a population of old Longleaf Pine trees but very few young Longleaf Pines. One of the primary conservation objectives for this land is to encourage more young Longleaf trees to thrive and grow on the mountain. Recently, a portion of this habitat was burned using prescribed fire in order to create better conditions for the Longleaf to thrive. Also, with the help of volunteers some of the less desirable trees surrounding the Longleaf seedlings were removed to allow more sunlight, water and nutrients to reach the seedlings, fostering faster growth.

In addition, Callaway Gardens' staff collected seed from several of the mature Longleaf trees. These seeds will be planted and grown in a nursery setting so that in the future the resulting seedling trees can be planted out to help restore even more of these beautiful trees to the forest. Historically, Pine Mountain Ridge was named after the regal Longleaf Pine, and The Preserve staff is working diligently to make sure this species remains a viable component of the Pine Mountain Ridge ecosystem.