Florida Sand Pine Christmas Tree

There are two types of sand pine in florida the ocala sand pine and the choctawatchee strain which is a good choice for a christmas tree.

Florida sand pine christmas tree.

The trunk and branches of the sand pine are often twisted. Each year the young trees must be shaped or pruned to encourage the tree to branch more quickly and gradually achieve the full bushy appearance people prefer in their christmas trees. State road 40 silver springs fl 34488 or the seminole ranger district office 40929 state road 19 umatilla fl 32784. The choctawhatchee sand pine is grown for christmas trees because of its short heavily foliated branches and dark green needles.

23 and tree harvesting ends dec 24. Usda photo permits must be purchased before dec. In florida red cedar virginia pine sand pine spruce pine and leyland cypress are grown specifically for use as christmas trees. In florida red cedar virginia pine sand pine spruce pine arizona cypress and leyland cypress are grown specifically for use as christmas trees.

Filter by sub region or select one of the tree types. Because it does not produce tall trunks it is of little importance to the lumber industry except for occasional usage for pulp. The sand pine pinus clausa is a native pine tree and a relative of the common florida slash pine the sand pine has shorter needles is shorter in height than its cousin and does not live as long as the slash pine. The supple evergreen leaves and the plant s ability to thrive in almost any soil make sand pine a good choice for use as a christmas tree with proper shearing.

To 65 as recorded at cape canaveral barreled through central florida pounding the area for the better part of a day this particular pine was at least 12 inches in diameter and an estimated 50 feet tall. The sand pine closely resembles the spruce pine as they both have the smooth gray bark. The 2 to 3 5 inch long spiny cones persist for quite a while on the tree often becoming embedded in the wood of the twigs. Bark beetles ips spp and sand pine sawfly neodiprion pratti are the main insects that damage sand pine.

What i like about these trees is the unconventional shapes of its branches and thin needles. Christmas tree farms near you in florida fl. Are you wondering where to find sand pines. In the same park as this tree at least 10 other trees had fallen most of which were mature sand pine destroying a gazebo and an elevated boardwalk in the process.

Bark beetle attacks are associated with stresses such as drought. They mostly grow in central and panhandle areas in florida. Our fresh from florida member gibbs christmas tree farm is one of your best options. A lightly decorated sand pine tree.

The star tree featured this year is the florida sand pine.