Pinus elliottii

Common Names

Slash Pine, Swamp Pine, Yellow Slash Pine, Pitch Pine, Cuban Pine, Southern Pine, Longleaf Pitch Pine, Southern Florida Pine

Summary

Slash Pine is a native evergreen conifer of the southeastern United States, with two varieties (var. elliottii and var. densa) ranging from Georgetown County, South Carolina to central Florida and west to Louisiana. It is a tall, fast-growing tree typically 80–100 ft tall with a 35–50 ft spread and a crown that ranges from conical to open; needles occur in bundles of two or three and are 6–12 in long, blue-green, and cones are 5–15 cm long; bark is red-brown and deeply furrowed.

Grows best in full sun to partial shade on moist, well-aerated soils, often along pond margins or in drainages; tolerates wet sites and drought and prefers acidic soils; propagation is by seed, with mature seeds about 20 months after pollination and good crops roughly every three years; hardy in USDA zones 8A–11; used for timber, plywood, pulpwood, naval stores, resin, poles, pilings, and other wood products; managed as even-aged stands with site preparation and thinning, often after clearcutting; major pests and diseases include fusiform rust, annosus root rot, pitch canker, and bark beetles; var. densa is more fire resistant than var. elliottii.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

75-100 feet

Spread

35-50 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7A-11

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Acidic, well-drained, well-aerated, moist soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, well-aerated soils, moist but not waterlogged

Soil pH

4.5-5.5, acidic

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Winter

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall color change

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen needle

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Layering, Cuttings, Grafting, Tissue culture

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds