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                | Sand pine
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                | Pinus clausa  
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                | Pinaceae 
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                | Landscape Uses:
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                |  | Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.  It can also be an attractive accent tree in parks and large residential yards. |  
                | Ecological Restoration Notes: |  
                |  | A key element of scrub, and the only canopy tree. |  
                | Availability: |  
                |  | Commonly available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. Available in Fort Meyers at Natives of Corkscrew. |  
                | Description: |  
                |  | Medium to large tree with a cylindrical to conical crown composed of numerous branches.  Trunks to 1 foot or more in diameter.  Bark gray, thin, brittle, with flaky scales, relatively smooth when young.  Needles in bundles of 2s, about 2-3 1/2 inches long. |  
                | Height: |  
                |  | Typically 20-40 feet in height in South Florida; to 106 feet in Florida.  Taller than broad. |  
                | Growth Rate: |  
                |  | Slow to moderate. |  
                | Range: |  
                |  | Southeastern United States south to Broward and Collier counties. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the  Exploring Florida website. |  
                | Habitats: |  
                |  | Scrub. |  
                | Soils: |  
                |  | Dry, well-drained sandy soils, without humus. |  
                | Nutritional Requirements: |  
                |  | Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |  
                | Salt Water Tolerance: |  
                |  | Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |  
                | Salt Wind Tolerance: |  
                |  | Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |  
                | Drought Tolerance: |  
                |  | High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |  
                | Light Requirements: |  
                |  | Full sun. |  
                | Flower Color: |  
                |  | Greenish turning brown. |  
                | Flower Characteristics: |  
                |  | Cone.  Pollination is by wind. |  
                | Flowering Season: |  
                |  | Spring. |  
                | Fruit: |  
                |  | Short-stalked brown cone, 2-3" long.  Some cones open when mature, other remain closed for 2-4 years or longer, opening irregularly or following fire. |  
                | Wildlife and Ecology: |  
                |  | Provides moderate amounts of food and cover for wildlife. |  
                | Horticultural Notes: |  
                |  | Can be grown from seed.  Growth is rapid at first. |  
                | Comments: |  
                |  | A handsome pine tree for extremely dry soils in South Florida.  The trees are flammable, however, and are best kept away from structures such as houses and office buildings. |  |  |  |  |