Dean Forestry Services

03/16/2026

If you look at the end of a pine tree branch this time of year, you might see these conical structures. What are they? Most of them, the ones that resemble ears of corn 🌽, are developing male pollen cones. These will soon mature and release their pollen into the breeze, coating the world in “yellow chalk dust.” Because pine trees rely on random chance for pollination, and don’t use a courier service like bees or butterflies, they must release a ton of pollen for some of it to reach a young female cone and fertilize its eggs.

The conical structure with brown spikes on the right is something different. It’s the end of the tree branch and is covered in developing pine needles. The needles are starting to emerge as new growth.

Take a look at some pine trees this time of year and it won’t take you long to find these structures. 🌲

02/10/2026

Does a lightning strike 🌩 ⚡️ always kill a tree? No! Take a look at how deep this lightning burn is on this loblolly pine. The crown isn't healthy, it looks stressed, but the tree is still alive and the scar is healing over. What a deep scar the lighting made!

02/01/2026

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01/05/2026

A new tax year is underway. If you're thinking about selling your timber but have questions or doubts, contact us. We offer advice, help with decision making and planning, timber appraisals, and we also offer marketing services to sell your timber on your behalf on a commission basis, similar to how a Realtor assists with the sale of a home. Newton, Lauderdale, and surrounding counties. We are Mississippi Registered Foresters.

01/03/2026

Driving down a forested road in winter, you might see patches of trees that have retained their light yellowish-brown leaves. These trees are often young American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). It’s a common native tree in moist forests across the eastern US.

So why do American Beech retain their leaves in winter (the technical term for this is marcescence)? There are several hypotheses, one of which is that old beech leaves cover up the buds and twigs, particularly on young trees and on the lower branches (see pics in comments). This may deter browsing by White-tailed Deer relative to deciduous trees that drop their leaves. Sounds like an interesting study, I guess you’d just have to check the deer’s browsing history. 😉🦌

12/23/2025