slash pine Pinaceae Pinus elliottii Engelm. symbol: PIEL Leaf: Evergreen needles, 7 to 10 inches long, flexible, with three (sometimes two) needles per fascicle, fascicle sheath is quite long and persistent; dark green in color. Flower: Species is monoecious; males cylindrical, red to yellow, in clusters at ends of twigs; females red to green, stalked, oval. Fruit: Cones are 3 to 6 inches long, ovoid, borne on a stalk, caramel colored; the umbo is armed with a small, out-curved spine; maturing in fall. Twig: Quite stout, orange-brown in color. Bark: Red-brown and furrowed when young, becoming very platy. The surfaces of the plates are covered with thin, loose scales that flake off, revealing a light brown to cinnamon color. Form: A medium sized tree with a narrowly ovoid crown capable of reaching over 100 feet tall. Needles appear to be tufted at the ends of the branches. Looks like: longleaf pine - loblolly pine - pond pine Additional Range Information: Pinus elliottii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting slash pine. More: Wood External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics Landowner Factsheet USDA Plants Database Horticulture © Copyright 2014, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson