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Swamp Pine Pinus elliottii

Phonetic Spelling
PY-nus el-ee-OT-ee-eye
Description

Slash Pine is a tall slender pine with a straight to contorted trunk and a conical to egg-shaped crown that becomes rounded or flattened at maturity. It grows in the infertile soils of sandhills, flatwoods, and near wet lowlands, such as swamps and ponds. It is an important lumber tree due to its strong wood and fast growth and is cultivated as such. 

This tree can be used in home landscapes as a specimen or in groups or in naturalized areas but be careful with placement as it will lose its lower limbs which die and drop. It also does well in well-drained sites along ponds or streams.

Problems: Chlorosis of the leaves will occur in basic soils or irrigation with basic water. Fusiform rust, root rot and Fusarium moniliforme are the most serious pest of slash pines. Insects pests are weevils and sawflies. This tree is susceptible to wind damage.  

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • var. densa
    Found S. Florida, S. America, Guatemala, W. Indes. Dense heart wood.
  • var. elliottii
    Found in the SE USA, from North Carolina to Texas
var. densa, var. elliottii
Tags:
#evergreen#drought tolerant#blue green needles#cover plant#low maintenance#squirrel friendly#fast growing#deer resistant#nighttime garden#lumber#showy cones#Braham Arboretum#larval host plant#evergreen tree#sandy soils tolerant#wet soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#wind damage prone#imperial moth#wildlife friendly
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • var. densa
    Found S. Florida, S. America, Guatemala, W. Indes. Dense heart wood.
  • var. elliottii
    Found in the SE USA, from North Carolina to Texas
var. densa, var. elliottii
Tags:
#evergreen#drought tolerant#blue green needles#cover plant#low maintenance#squirrel friendly#fast growing#deer resistant#nighttime garden#lumber#showy cones#Braham Arboretum#larval host plant#evergreen tree#sandy soils tolerant#wet soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#wind damage prone#imperial moth#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Pinus
    Species:
    elliottii
    Family:
    Pinaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Important lumber tree. Russian used to produce steroids from pine pulp extractives in 1968 as well as turpentine used in perfumery, cigarettes, cosmetic, and toilet products.
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    SE USA
    Distribution:
    AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX
    Fire Risk Rating:
    low flammability
    Wildlife Value:
    This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. The seeds are an excellent food source for gray and fox squirrels and wild turkey. The dense foliage also provides cover and shelter for wildlife.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Perennial
    Tree
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Oval
    Rounded
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    12-24 feet
    24-60 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Fruit Length:
    > 3 inches
    Fruit Description:
    Not a fruit a cone. 3-6 inch elongated, oval, glossy brown cone has thin scales and fine prickles
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Green
    Red/Burgundy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Winter
    Flower Description:
    No flowers, pollen cones are cylindrical-shaped, 1.2 to 1.6 inches long, and red to purplish in color. Seed cones are borne singly or in pairs and are ovoid or ovoid-cylindric when open. Cones measure 3-6 inches long, colored light reddish-brown and mature in 2 years.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Green
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Leaf Shape:
    Acicular
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    5-11 in long flexible dark blue-green needles are borne 2-3 per fascicle.
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Brown
    Light Brown
    Red/Burgundy
    Surface/Attachment:
    Furrowed
    Papery
    Patchy
    Scaly
    Bark Plate Shape:
    Irregular
    Rectangle
    Bark Description:
    Red-brown and furrowed when young becoming very platy bark broken into irregular blocks scaly and flaking as it ages.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Orange
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Twigs are stout, rough and scaly, orange-brown, aging darker brown.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Lawn
    Naturalized Area
    Pond
    Recreational Play Area
    Slope/Bank
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Nighttime Garden
    Shade Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Barrier
    Mass Planting
    Screen/Privacy
    Shade Tree
    Small groups
    Specimen
    Attracts:
    Moths
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Poor Soil
    Salt