| COMMON NAME Slash Pine, Swamp Pine, Yellow Slash Pine, Southern Florida Pine |
| BOTANICAL NAME Pinus elliottii |
| HEIGHT 60’+ |
| WIDTH 30′ |
| EVERGREEN |
| LIFESPAN 200 years |
| COLD TOLERANCE 0° F |
| SOIL TYPE Acidic, well drained |
| DROUGHT TOLERANCE High |
| SALT TOLERANCE High |
| COLOR |
| MONTH OF COLOR |
| FRUIT The seeds of all Pinus species are more or less edible. Some are well-sized and are a flavorful and nutritious food, commonly eaten in quantity. Others are less desirable, either too resinous of a flavor or bitter, or often too small to be worth the effort to eat them. Seed are dark brown, 0.2″. Pine cones are glossy red-brown, 2″ to 6″, with a short, thick prickle at the end of each scale. Edible seeds. Harvest brown, unopened cones with prickles and fill them in to a burlap sack to dry in the sun for 3 to 4 days. Turns sacks daily to ensure cones are evenly heated, enticing cones to open and release seeds. When cones are dried and opened, shake sack to dislodge the nuts from the cones. Another method is to spread the cones out in the sun on a tarp and turn the cones by hand. Save some for the wildlife, and careful not to break a tree limb! |
| ALLERGENS, TOXICITY AND ANIMALS Pine pollen is a large particle with a waxy coating on it’s surface, which makes it a minor allergy trigger. The pollen is wind dependent, so it cannot travel too far. Pine produces pollen at the same time as other trees with more significant allergens, such as birch, cedar, oak and sycamore. Those who think they have a pine allergy are probably allergic to one of the other trees. |
| COMMENTS Very fast growing pine, native to Central Florida. Naturally occurring next to shallow ponds, in swamps, and in low grounds which are dry for part of the year. Important food source for wild animals such as squirrels, wild turkey, quail, birds, etc. Blueberry plants need a soil pH of 4.5 to 4.8, and Strawberry plants need a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5, making them ideal neighbors for Pines with acidic soil. Use the fallen needles as pine straw to mulch your vegetables or flower garden! |
| PRICE 30 gallon $125 |
