Slash Pine-- Pinus elliotti

Primarily found in Florida, southern Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, slash pine has the smallest native range of the major southern pines. This species of pine has been at the cornerstone of one of the oldest national industries, naval stores. Since colonial times, slash pine has supplied a large portion of the resin and turpentine used throughout the world. In many early management schemes, the gum was the only product harvested. The harvesting of the resin increases bark thickness and can reduce the volume growth of wood by 20 to 25 percent.

Now, slash pine is frequently used in agroforestry production where cattle graze in the stands. Little damage is done to the trees and the stand benefits from the reduction of a dense highly flammable understory. Its rapid growth is also a benefit in restoring mine spoil-sites and stabilizing eroded landscapes.

The natural range of slash pine was once defined by its susceptibility to fire during the seedling stage, but now the species has been planted as far north as southern Tennessee, as fire prevention has increased over the past 7 decades. Slash pine has even started spreading to drier sites, once dominated by longleaf pine due to its abundant seed production and ability to withstand root damage by wild hogs and wildlife.