Sand Pine
Pinus clausa
Plant Family: Pinaceae
Leaves: Needles are in bundles of 2 and rather short, from 5 – 8 cm long, the leaf buds are brown.
Bark: Gray-brown, smooth on younger trees, having scaly orange and gray plates on older trees.
Cones: Short, to only 8 cm, when ripe they open to reveal two-toned scales, brown with a black band along the tip. They may persist on the tree for more than one year.
Habitat: Dry, sandy soils, often in association with scrub oaks, saw palmetto and prickly pear cactus, a community that ecologists refer to as sand pine scrub, most of which has been lost to development in south Florida.
Growth Form: Small to medium-sized tree.
Key Features: The two-toned scales of the mature female cones combined with smooth twigs are diagnostic.
Comments: Sand Pine will be found on poor, sandy soils from Collier and Broward counties north to the panhandle; it is a true Florida native!
