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Once longleaf pine starts height growth, their large bundles of needles cause them to become somewhat top heavy. Without a stout tap root in place, these trees can easily fall over.
As the tree continues to mature, both the lateral and tap roots continue to grow. In mature trees, roots radiate out laterally an average of 35 feet from the trunk (some roots may travel up to 75 ft). Longleaf differs from other pines in that the tap root is nearly as large in diameter as the tree's trunk, tapering gradually to depths (on average) of 10 to 15 feet.
Longleaf roots are high in carbohydrates and other nutrients. Because
of their food value, various animals seek them out. Although relatively
harmless to mature longleaf, pocket gophers excavate extensive caverns
while feeding on the roots of longleaf pine and other plant species. At
one time, wild pigs were very abundant in the southeast and their voracious
appetite for longleaf roots resulted in countless acres of young trees
being rooted up. When a longleaf pine tree dies, fires often consume the
stump creating a hole roughly the dimensions of the tap root. The burned
or rotted out root systems of these stumps create a myriad of tunnels
ideal for various cold-blooded creatures. 