There are two derivations of name of the Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii). One is that it is named for the slashes that were made on the bark in order to obtain the resin used in terpentine and pitch, important supplies for wooden ships. The resin would be collected in a clay Herty Pot named after Dr. Charles Holmes Herty the inventor of the pot. Hardened resin covering a wound in the trunk can be seen in the picture and on this tree. The second derivation of the name comes from the tree's association with wetlands, known at one time as "the slashes".
A variation of the Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) occurs in South Florida that can be differentiated from the more northern pine by its manner of growth. The South Florida variety spends it first 2-6 years looking like a tuft of grass where the more northern one grows up on a long thin stem . While in this "grass stage" the South Florida pine puts down a large deep taproot to obtain water during dry seasons and develops a thick collar just below the soil surface. This growth form has a fair chance to survive a fire because the top burns away quickly leaving the collar and root able to regrow. The young tree in the picture is just entering the "bottlebrush stage" where it quickly grows up but has not yet branched. This is a vulnerable stage since the young tree has not yet developed the thick layers of flakey bark that can be shed during a fire. Further rapid growth produces a tall trunk with thick flakey bark and branches concentrated near the top of the tree, away from ground fire.
Slash Pines create habitat for insects and the birds that eat them. Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) use large living pines as nesting sites. Woodpeckers, owls and bees make nests in the dead trees that are very strong due to the resin that remains in the dead wood. It is common to see Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) perching in the branches of alive or dead pines.
Like the Sabal Palm, the Slash Pine supports climbing vines and air plants. Walk up to the next pine tree on the left and you will find a Muskadine Grape Vine (Vitas rotundifolia). The round scalloped leaves are easy to identify and the vines cover the ground up to the tops of trees. The dark colored grapes are quite edible but you have to get to them before the animals and birds do.
