Summary ⁵

Slash pine is naturally found in wet flatwoods, swampy areas, and shallow pond edges. It can also occur in the low sandy soils that are poor in nutrients. A medium to large tree that is capable of reaching heights of 80 to 100 ft. tall with a 3 to 4 ft. diameter trunk that is long, clear, and symmetrical. Has a dense, round-topped crown of horizontal and ascending branches, and "brooms" of needles at the ends of the branches. On slash pine, the needles are 5 to 11 in. long, and can be borne 2 to 3 to a fascicle. The needles are yellowish-green to bluish-green, stiff, and slightly twisted. They last 2-3 years on the tree. The needle sheath is 1-2 cm long. The orange-brown bark is deeply furrowed on young stems, becoming 1 to 2 inches thick and broken into large, flat plates, covered with large, thin, papery scales. Its cones measure 3 to 6 in. long, and are pinkish when young becoming a glossy brown color when mature. The cone scales are thin and diamond-shaped with fine prickles.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Forest and Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/starr-environmental/24984718461/
2. (c) Leighton Reid, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Leighton Reid
3. (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Judy Gallagher
4. (c) t_kok, all rights reserved
5. (c) t_kok, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• Plants of the World Online
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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