I live in the heart of the Choctawhatchee sand pine population in Northwest Florida. I find it very interesting how the range of the sand...Read More pine is very limited, but in these little pockets where they are found, it is a monstrously vigorous tree.
The soil around here is basically pure sand that drains so quickly that just a couple weeks without rain really stresses plants that aren't drought tolerant. Along with species like longleaf pine, turkey oak, and sand live oak, sand pine is at home in this environment.
They grow like rockets and reproduce like crazy. There is a green zone right behind my yard and it was completely full of sand pine ranging from small trees to saplings. And don't be fooled, I've seen Florida tree books list the sand pine as a medium or even small tree. This couldn't be farther than the truth as all the ones here are pretty much the tallest pines around. Large specimens 60+ feet tall.
Now unfortunately in my area, people regard the sand pine (or shortleaf pine as they call it) as a nuisance. What has happened is, when the land has been cleared for development and houses, the pines that are left are of course tall and thin because of the canopy that was removed around them. On top of this, the tree has a root system that does not anchor very well and thus is EXTREMELY susceptible to wind. My area experienced only solid category 1 hurricane conditions in the hurricanes of '04 and '05, and yet still virtually all sand pines that were exposed without many other trees around them are leaning, some at dangerous angles. Also, the sand pine is prone to die suddenly from unknown causes (although I noticed this happens more to the mature trees in the landscape that have been cleared around than in the wild) and it happens to be a species that retains dead branches. All these factors have caused residents of this area to treat the sand pine with disdain, calling it invasive or even a "trash tree."
All these so called negative aspects are misunderstood, and let me shed some light.
The sand pine's root structure consists of shallow roots that love the sandy soil here: erosion can be a major issue. It is for this reason that the sand pine here grows so well- it stabilizes the soil in a way that very few other trees can.
Yes it is weak in terms of wind resistance, but I have some encouraging findings. Despite the aforementioned leaning trees, I have noticed that in the forest, many sand pines are not leaning at all. If some semblance of canopy can be kept, the sand pine will not be as wind vulnerable. Also, since practically no one sells this pine in nurseries, the only specimens people are familiar with in this area are tall, spindly, mature trees that were growing in this manner to compete for sun in the forest. Looking carefully around, I have found a few specimens growing in an open environment, and they look great! Their form is completely different; they are around 1/2 the height of trees growing in the forest or even less, and they hardly lean or don't lean at all. This gives great promise that the sand pine, if given open space, will grow into a pleasing, more bush-like form that is both wind resistant and attractive.
Sand pine is not native to my area (Clay County, FL), but was planted here in tree farms to be used in the production of cheap, high-acid...Read More pulp paper. Their life span seems to be about 40 years, and the ones planted in the area that is now the subdivision where we live are at the end of their lifespans and are ending their lives in what is apparently their typical fashion -- they fall over. I don't think they are particularly lovely to look at; I prefer long-leaf pines, which are now beginning to make a comeback as the native species here. Part of the problem with sand pines here, of course, is the way in which they were planted for farming, the very unnatural straight rows, with the trees crowded together. But the density of their original planting here for farming has created the problem of their rather dense reproduction.
I'm just not a big fan of this tree, but that is probably more the fault of their unnatural planting and use here than of the characteristics of the tree itself.
Although I never thought it would grow here in the hills of northeast Tennessee (@1500 ft where I live), I have had one of these Sand pin...Read Morees for about 4 years now and it has thrived. First winter I had the seedling, the needles did brown, but they have been fine ever since. It has endured record lows as cold as 5° (which is 20° colder than our coldest average winter low). I love it. Its right at home with my Longleaf pines, Slash pines, Pond pine and Loblolly pines. All of which also have thrived. (Loblolly is the only one of these that are native to my area).
Archer/Bronson, FL (Zone 8b) | September 2008 | positive
When I moved here in 2005 there wasn't a sand pine to be found. My property consisted of primarily Long Leaf Pine and Turkey Oaks. And ...Read Moreyes, I live on a sand hill (scrub). 2 years ago the forestry department did some controlled burning on the State Preserve located directed behind my land.
Last year sand pines popped up all over the place. I suspect the burning sent some dormant seeds into the wind and they ended up here. Many of them are now 4-5 feet tall. Slow growers? I would say, not necessarily. I had to move some of them to make room for the pool and to keep them from the power lines. Unlike the Long Leaf which does not tolerate transplanting, the Sand Pines never skipped a beat. I suspect that is because they do not have the long tap root as other pines.
I hope to move some others into more desireable areas for their privacy and shade benefits.
Sand pine is common along the gulf coast of Alabama and NW Florida. While they are very drought tolerant, they are not tolerant of salt w...Read Moreater flooding. Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina caused large numbers of sand pines to die along the coast.
This tree is capable of rapid re-forestation after fires. It gives wildlife shelter and secures the sand dunes.
The small ...Read Moreto medium sized pine has very smooth twigs and the 2" to 3" cones remain on the tree. The cones have scale tips with black inside edges and the prickles are very small , or absent. The slender needles are 2" to 4" long and the sheaths are 1/8" to 1/4".
Now in Orlando, FL (Zone 9b) | December 2004 | positive
I find it amazing how these are found growing in what seems like pure sand. You wouldn't know they were endangered by visiting my area as...Read More they can be found all up and down US1 in Martin and St. Lucie counties and beyond. But it's true, where they like to call home also happens to be very desirable real estate for humans too.
You can identify them by short needles and low height. Slow growers. Unlike P. elliotti, these are typically found with lower branches which resemble the form of P. taeda.
Sand pines are very valuable trees that provide food and shelter for wildlife. They grow on coastal dunes, high sandhills and scrub (incl...Read Moreuding scrubby flatwoods) throughout much of Florida, notably southeast (where I live), central, and northern Florida, mostly on the Panhandle. They are excellent native trees and are extremely drought tolerant as they grow in the dry Florida scrub. I visit some parks and see large stands of them growing in the scrub. I'm unsure whether seeds of these excellent trees are available and if they can be planted in someone's yard for now, but I hope so. They are becoming very, very rare as their scrub habitat is being heavily destroyed, especially in my area. Non-native plants such as Brazilian Peppertree (see my comment on it there), Australian Pine, Melalueca, and others also are threatening unique plants, native wildlife and this species, including the unique scrub. They grow in zones 8b, 9, 10a, 10b, and 11 as well as further south. They are prone to fire, though, and may take a while to grow back. If seeds are available, I give this tree a thumbs up!
Sand pine is found primarily in central and northern Florida and parts of southeastern Alabama. Many threatened and/or endangered species...Read More of wildlife live in or in some way use sand pine forests. Two examples are the Florida Scrub Jay and Gopher Tortoise. These trees provide cover and nesting sites for many types of birds and squirrels and
rodents feed on the seeds.
As humans encroach we are losing much of the sand pine forests and this further endangers many species
I live in the heart of the Choctawhatchee sand pine population in Northwest Florida. I find it very interesting how the range of the sand...Read More
Sand pine is not native to my area (Clay County, FL), but was planted here in tree farms to be used in the production of cheap, high-acid...Read More
Although I never thought it would grow here in the hills of northeast Tennessee (@1500 ft where I live), I have had one of these Sand pin...Read More
When I moved here in 2005 there wasn't a sand pine to be found. My property consisted of primarily Long Leaf Pine and Turkey Oaks. And ...Read More
Sand pine is common along the gulf coast of Alabama and NW Florida. While they are very drought tolerant, they are not tolerant of salt w...Read More
This tree is capable of rapid re-forestation after fires. It gives wildlife shelter and secures the sand dunes.
The small ...Read More
I find it amazing how these are found growing in what seems like pure sand. You wouldn't know they were endangered by visiting my area as...Read More
Sand pines are very valuable trees that provide food and shelter for wildlife. They grow on coastal dunes, high sandhills and scrub (incl...Read More
Sand pine is found primarily in central and northern Florida and parts of southeastern Alabama. Many threatened and/or endangered species...Read More