Click on the thumbnail to see a slideshow of some examples of the needles.

Highslide JS
Longleaf pine tree with its distinctive green needles arranged in tufts at the ends of branches. From below, these tufts look quite similar to starbursts.
Needle comparison of main southern pines: 1) Longleaf Pine; 2)Slash Pine; 3) Loblolly Pine; 4) Sand Pine; 5) Shortleaf Pine; 6) Virginia Pine. (Quarter placed for size reference.)
In late summer/early fall, the two year old needles of (most) longleaf pine can be seen browning and starting to drop from the tree. However, longleaf pine in really dry sandhills usually only carry needles for one year before dropping them.
Since longleaf pine needles do not compose rapidly, frequent fires help reduce their buildup. Dead needles that fall to the ground and dry out will allow a fire to burn at a modest intensity along the forest floor.
Dead longleaf pine needles that become suspended on native bunch grasses dry out even more quickly and allow a slightly more intense fire to move along the forest floor.
Lack of frequent fires will allow hardwood tree species to grow up into the forest midstory. The hardwoods will trap pine needles falling from longleaf pine and allow the intensity of the next fire to be higher. These draped pine needles provide a suspended fuel source and allow the fire to move off the ground and upwards to the forest canopy. Frequent fires will reduce this problem.
Unlike today, at one time, longleaf pine needles were purposely kept from yards around the house. Among the reasons was to protect the house from burning during a forest fire.

(Old cabin home, image number: Rc02400, Date 189-, Courtesy of the Florida State Photographic Archives.)
Florida woman making a basket out of longleaf pine needles, as people have done in that region for generations.

(Mary Mourey making a pine needle basket; Live Oak, Florida; 1986. Photographed by Merri Belland; image number: fs891176. Florida Folklife Archive, Photographs and Slides of Folk Arts, Artisans, and Performers. Courtesy of Florida State Photographic Archives.)
Historic image showing a large pile of longleaf pine needles collected for use on roads.

(Ox-drawn wagon full of pine needles, used for country roads; Lake County, Florida; image number: rc10650; Date 189-?. Courtesy of Florida State Photographic Archives.)
Dirt road through the Piney Woods with pine needles (straw) laid on it, presumeably to keep the dust down. Dirt buffers on each side may be to keep fire from crossing it.

(Looking down a pine straw road; De Land, Florida; image number: rc10520; Date ca. 1900. Courtesy of Florida State Photographic Archives.)
Because it is slow to decompose, the use of longleaf pine straw as a garden mulch is increasing in popularity amongst homeowners. Longleaf pine is seen here baled like hay and ready for resale.
Longleaf pine straw being baled mechanically with a tractor and hay baler. Other operations bale the straw by hand.

(http://forestryimages.tamu.edu/gallery.cgi)

 

Longleaf Pine Needles

Owing its namesake to having the longest needles of all southern pines, longleaf pine needles usually range from 7 to 18 inches in length (though longer needles have been found). The needles are grouped in threes and arranged in tufts on the end of branches. When viewed from below, these tufts look similar to a starburst.  Needles persist for approximately 2 growing seasons before being rotated out by a group of younger needles.

High in natural volatile chemicals, longleaf pine needles are slow to decay once they fall to the forest floor. However, frequent fires throughout the woods easily ignite the dead needles and clean the forest floor of pine needles and other debris.

Needles were frequently used by Native Americans and early settlers to weave into baskets. Today, because of their pleasing color and length, many longleaf pine needles are gathered and used as garden mulch (called "pine straw").