Mature Slash Pine

Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) Engelmann 1880

Native Range: Slash Pine has the smallest native range of the four major southern pines. The range extends over 8° latitude and 10° longitude, and 45 percent of the present growing stock is in Georgia. Slash Pine grows naturally from Georgetown County, South Carolina, south to central Florida, and west to Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. Its native range includes the lower Coastal Plain, part of the middle Coastal Plain, and the hills of south Georgia. The species has been established by planting as far north as Tennessee, in north central Georgia, and Alabama. It has also been planted and direct-seeded in Louisiana and eastern Texas where it now reproduces naturally. (Silvics of North America. 1990. Agriculture Handbook 654.)

Habitat: Slash Pine was originally found in moist, but well drained and aerated soils, of the southeastern United States, particularly along pond, stream, and lake margins. This habitat preference is a reflection of the susceptibility of the seedlings to fire. With the advent of fire protection, Slash Pine has spread to drier soils.