|
AUSTRALIAN PINE NON - NATIVE NUISANCE TREE |
|
|
|
|
|
The Australian Pine is originally from Australia but it is not in reality a pine tree. Contrary to real pine trees Australian Pines do flower and the needles are actually compressed, segmented leaves. The tall, wispy trees are easily visible from a distance often growing in long straight rows along bodies of water. These trees were brought to Florida in the late 1800's and commonly planted as windbreaks along canals and property lines. Australian Pines tend to develop a shallow root system, which makes them particularly prone to toppling during storms. Compounding the danger of these trees is the hard, high density wood (in Hawaii this tree is knwn as Ironwood) which can cause substantial damage to buildings when they fall. Another aspect which makes these tree problematic is that they often grow along canals which during a wind storm can become clogged with toppled Australian Pine trunks potentially leading to flooding. This was documented in numerous cases during hurricane Andrew. The extremely fast growth rate and high salt tolerance of these trees make them especially problematic along the coast where they quickly out-compete and crowd out native coastal vegetation such as Sea Grape. The fallen needles release a chemical into the soil preventing the growth of other plants. The often washed out and exposed root systems also pose a special threat to Sea Turtles coming ashore to lay eggs. These endangered reptiles sometimes become entangled in the roots and die before they are able to free themselves again. Frequently found growing along canals and as a windbreak along property lines. |
|
|
|
|
