Dade Slash Pine

Plant Name: Dade Slash Pine

Botanical Name: Pinus Elliott var. densa

Description (growth habits, light requirements & care): Endemic to peninsular FL. A tall, fast-growing evergreen tree reaching 30-65 feet. Thrives in full sun and tolerates sandy, well-drained soils. Drought- and fire-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for natural landscapes. A key element of pine rocklands, pine flatwoods, and scrubby flatwoods; the only canopy tree in these ecosystems.

How you help by planting this: Provides essential habitat for birds, insects, and small mammals while supporting pine rockland ecosystems. 

Flower and Fruit (color, characteristics, season): Greenish turning brown. Pollination is by wind. Flowering season is winter to spring.

Pairs well with: Saw Palmetto, Coontie, Locustberry, and Pineland Strongbark, West Indian Lilac and Pine Rockland species.

Important Fact: Pine Rocklands, Pinus elliottii var. densa is also known as the Dade County pine or the southern slash pine. This unique variety of the American slash pine is endemic to peninsular Florida. The variety name “densa” refers to the dense, resinous wood which is nearly termite-proof and thus a popular building material for early Florida settlers. Once ubiquitous in the South Florida landscape, this pine is now relegated to nature preserves and a few private properties. This is a shame, since South Florida’s only native pine species is not only beautiful, it’s a foundational species for the globally imperiled pine rocklands ecosystem.