PlantFiles: Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii

Slash pine is the most common pine tree in my area. It is the most favored wood for rough lumber. It has replaced longleaf pine in alot of areas originally occupied by longleaf. It is susceptible to fusiform rust which makes large cankers on the trunk. Fusiform rust is only likely to occur if oaks are growing nearby, the fungus requires both trees for it's life cycle. I recommend this tree over loblolly pine but otherwise longleaf pine is my favorite.

Resembling the Loblolly and Longleaf pines in the South ,but it's needles are 7" to 11" long. Two and three needle clusters are seen on the same tree, except for the variant..Pinus elliottii var. densa, it has 2 needle clusters only and is found in south Florida.

Cones are 3" to 6' long and the old ones, for the most part, do not remain on the tree. They have small prickles and gloves should be worn when handling them.

This is a fast growing tree and is used for timber and formerly for turpentine.

It is reported to hybridize with the Loblolly Pine.

Near impossible to transplant without a tree spade truck.
It's a shame the builders here clear cut wooded lots of these valuable trees.

We're throwing it all away.

Slash Pine is one of the best native plants ever. It thrives in full sun, adapts to little water and provides habitat, food, and shelter for wildlife. Ever sinch I got a small one of the South Florida Variety of the Slash Pine it has been growing superbly! It is still only about 2 or 3 feet tall but is one of the best. It grows naturally in dry flatwoods, sandy uplands, dunes and scrub on the coastal plain of the Southeast US from South Carolina to Louisiana and my area. It does well in all Florida zones, from North to South. I water it at least twice a week and it does well. If you see one on sale, it could be your next garden choice as it shades your garden plants, provides perfect shade that allows sunlight to pass through and "filter", and protects them from the cold and rough weather. Plus its a great wildlife-attracter plant! If you have a native plant garden for wildlife, give this plant a thumbs-up!

Some requirements:

SOIL - Loves a wide range of soil, especially somewhat alkaline or acid surfaces (grows on pine rocklands in the Florida Everglades and limestone ridges).

SUN - Loves full sun as well as partial to light shade (not sure about dense shade - please tell me if it works in dense shade!)

IRRIGATION - Seems to tolerate up to 2 or 3 times water a week.

Description:

NEEDLES - Light green, shortish in length.

TRUNK - Dark brown to lightish brown.

CONES - Up to a few inches in length; medium to dark or light brown; provide food for wildlife.

-NativePlantFan9-

Its common name refers to the slash marks left in the bark after turpentining, a process used to harvest the resin from the trees.

This is an unexpected one. Most Gymnosperms just can´t live under the heat in Rio de Janeiro. Pinus elliotti not only can survive the heat and sunstroke, but there are a row of those trees living practically on sand, and recieving salt from the sea spray (2,5 km from the sea). I can say that it´s a though pine that´s been living there since I moved here, 18 years ago. All I know about it is that it´s original from south eastern United States and north eastern Mexico and is living pretty well (producing cones and lots of seeds every year) in completely adverse conditions.