While slash pine is widely planted, it occurs naturally in wet, flatwoods, swampy areas and shallow pond edges. The two can be distinguished by noting that loblolly pine always grows with three needles per fascicle, its cones persist on the tree for a longer time than slash pine cones and cones of loblolly pine are far more prickly than slash pine cones. Florida slash pine is similar to the native pines of the West Indies and is, in fact, a link between the temperate and subtropical communities. The characteristics are very similar to those described for slash pine. This short-needled pine is found in hardwood hammocks from Alachua County northward and west into the panhandle.
Older trees have silvery-gray bark resembling that of spruce trees.
This species is the most shade tolerant of our native pines. Full sun may retard growth. Spruce pine reach heights of 80 to 90 feet in the moist, sandy loam soils they prefer. They are not generally abundant, but may be found scattered among loblolly pines and hardwoods in hammocks, or along stream banks. Longleaf pine is the southern yellow pine you may encounter when reading about southern forest history.