Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii
Plant Family: Pinaceae
Leaves: Needles are in bundles of 2 (occasionally 3), 8 – 15 cm long, the leaf buds are green to light brown.
Bark: Gray-brown, flaky, with orange under-bark; fire scars may be present on the lower trunk.
Cones: The cones are usually less than 15 cm long and each scale is tipped with a short spine; present all year.
Habitat: Pine flatwoods, moist soils.
Growth Form: Medium-sized to a potentially large tree, but most of the older trees, to 30 meters tall, have been logged.
Similar Species: Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) has cones greater than 15 cm long, silver-white buds, and in south Florida is restricted to Lee County.
Comments: Slash Pine is common in south Florida and forms the pinelands of the Everglades; it is a tall tree that is fire dependent, having evolved cones that open when exposed to heat, generating new seedlings after a fire. The common name comes from the former practice of slashing the trunk to start the flow of the resinous sap, which was harvested to produce turpentine. Older trees may still be found with the scars that resulted from this practice.
