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Pinus clausa (Chapm. ex Engelm.)Vasey ex Sarg.
Sand Pine
Florida native
A common pine of scrub and coastal dunes throughout much of Florida excluding the southern tip of the peninsula and the Keys. Also found in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.
A small to medium-sized pine growing up to about 25m (82 ft.) tall. The bark of young trees and new branches smooth, becoming closely ridged with age and eventually breaking into small plates. The needles are mostly in fascicles of two and 4-8cm (1-1/2 to just over 3 in.) long. Cones are ovulate and up to one third longer than wide, typically 5-8cm (2 to just over 3 in.) long.
Sand pines in the Florida peninsula have mostly serotinous (Latin for late) cones, referring to the trait that they remain closed until exposed to fire. The panhandle sand pines have cones that open without fire as do most other pines. The specific name clausa is Latin for closed.
The Treasure Coast Natives blog has two interesting posts on sand pines: Sand Pine and Sand Pine Has a Lopsided Sex Ratio.
Pinus clausa is a member of the Pinaceae - Pine family.
Other species of the Pinus genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Pinus elliottii - SLASH PINE
Pinus palustris - LONGLEAF PINE
Pinus taeda - LOBLOLLY PINE
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Feb 15, 2025
