Florida's Longleaf Pine Tree
Photo credit: Walkingfox

The Endangered Plants of Florida

The Longleaf Pine Tree
Pinus palustris

Florida, La Florida, as it was named by Spanish explorer

Ponce De Leon, in the early 1500's, means Land of the Flowers.

We certainly do attempt to live up to the name!

The Longleaf Pine Tree is part of an Endangered

Ancient Ecosystem that is critical to the well being

of over 30 Endangered Species in Florida.

This much maligned tree once covered much of the Southeast,

but today because of unscrupulous logging and construction,

it has been reduced by well over 90 percent,

making it the most Threatened Ecosystem on this Continent.

We are surrounded by these beautiful trees here in

the Ocala National Forest and many of Florida's most

Endangered animals depend on them for a variety of uses.

The needles are incredible and range from 8 to 18 inches long,

our Airedale brings them in on her leg fur every time she goes outside.

The massive cones are between 5 and 10 inches, bigger than any other pine.

Longleaf Pines are very hardy, being insect, disease, fire and

wind resistant, an important factor, considering the turbulent

environment that is everyday weather in Central Florida.

Their great strength and superior qualities are what made them

a popular choice for building ships and homes by the early settlers,

who promptly wiped out the Ancient virgin stands

in a little over one hundred years.

All that remains today of these once proud pines are

relatively young ones, which are now being carefully

watched by Florida Environmental groups.

Hopefully some of them will be allowed to reach their

full potential and grow as old as their ancestors once did.

This is yet another Florida Natural that deserves our respect.

Places to learn more:

Ecological Restoration

Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

Fed US

Pinus Palustrius

Floridata

Pinus palustrius

Florida Division of Forestry

Point Washington State Forest

FWS

Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

GORP

Longleaf Pine

Nature Conservancy

Panhandle Longleaf Pine

NCSU

Range and Habitat of Longleaf Pine

UF

Longleaf Pine

Longleaf Pine Regeneration

UMN

Longleaf Pine Restoration

Walking with the Alligators

Write to Gator Woman

amberziek6 at centurylink.net