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Pinus elliottii
Also called American Pitch Pine, Longleaf Pitch Pine, Swamp Pine, Pitch Pine, Yellow Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii, commonly known as slash pine, is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae, a pine native to the coastal plain of the Southeastern United States. Slash pine is named after the "slashes" – swampy ground overgrown with trees and bushes – that constitute its habitat. Other common names include swamp pine, yellow slash pine, and southern Florida pine. Slash pine has two different varieties: P. e. var. elliottii and P. e. var. densa. Historically, slash pine has been an important economic timber for naval stores, turpentine, and resin. The wood of slash pine is known for its unusually high strength, especially for a pine. It exceeds many hardwoods and is even comparable to very dense woods such as black ironwood.
Communities dominated by slash pine are termed "slash pine forests". Slash pine is predominately found in Florida and Georgia, and extends from South Carolina west to southeastern Louisiana, and south to the Florida Keys. It is common in East Texas, where it was first planted at the E.O. Siecke State Forest in 1926. The natural habitat is sandy subtropical maritime forests and wet flatwoods. Slash pine generally grows better in warm, humid areas where the average annual temperature is above 17 °C (63 °F), with extreme ranges from −18 to 41 °C (0 to 106 °F). Factors such as competition, fire, and precipitation may limit the natural distribution of these trees. Slash pines are able to grow in an array of soils, but pine stands that are close to bodies of water such as swamps and ponds grow better because of higher soil moisture and seedling protection from wildfire. These forests have been managed through controlled fires since the beginning of the 20th century. Within the first year, P. elliottii is particularly susceptible to seedling mortality caused by fire. P. e. var.
This tree is widely grown in tree plantations. It is also used in horticulture. It is hardy to USDA zones 7a-11.
Whitebark Pine · Amami Pine · Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine · Arizona Pine · Pinus armandii var. mastersiana · Chinese White Pine · Pinus arunachalensis · Knobcone pine · Mexican White Pine · Foxtail Pine · Jack pine · Bhutan Pine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pinus elliottii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
