Slash Pine
| Slash Pine | ||||||||||||||
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| Pinus elliottii |
The Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) is a pine native to the southeast United States. It is fast-growing, but not very long-lived by pine standards (to 200 years), and prefers humid climates and moist soil. There are two varieties: typical P. elliottii var. elliotti, and P. elliotti var. densa (South Florida Slash Pine).
This tree reaches heights of 18-30 m with a trunk diameter of 0.6-0.8 m. The needles are very slender, in clusters of three (sometimes 2, particularly in var. densa) and are 18-24 cm long. The cones are glossy red-brown, 7-15 cm in length with a short (2-3 mm), thick prickle on each scale (slightly smaller, 5-12 cm, in var. densa).
It can be distinguished from the related Loblolly Pine by the somewhat longer, glossier needles, and larger red-brown cones, and from Longleaf Pine by the shorter, slenderer needles and smaller cones with less broad scales.
The Slash Pine is also known as the Yellow Slash Pine, Swamp Pine, and Pitch Pine, though it should not be confused with the tree more usually called the Pitch Pine, Pinus rigida.
This tree is widely grown on tree plantations, and is also used in horticulture.
Categories: Pinaceae