It's pretty cold in SE OK this week, but the achieved pine growth here with GTXT loblolly pine seedlings certainly warms my heart to see! 6' to 9' dominant and co-dominant height growth at the end of the 2nd growing season is good most anywhere in the Southeast US, but it is really strong in Choctaw County, Oklahoma. Along the Texas-Oklahoma border, Atoka, Choctaw and Pushmataha Counties frame the western pine growing range as the Quachita Mountains end, annual mean precipitation dips, and the ecosystem shifts toward brush and grassland. Severe drought, tough cold snaps, cold winds, and higher soil rock contents provide additional stresses here as opposed to more conventional pine plantation geographies. Yet, there are some pockets of good sandy loam over clay soils. With good silviculture, site index base age 25 year height growth potential in the 80-90' range is operationally possible at lower to moderate planting densities. I will come back in a few more years and measure the growth trajectory on this stand near Valiant, OK, but it looks to be setting a strong operational curve for the region.