Posted by Jay Tallahassee 8b North Florida Palm Society http://palmsociety.blogspot.com/
on 11/5/2009, 11:48 pm
98.192.128.81
Pond pine (Pinus serotina) has serotinous cones, which means they usually stay closed unless they are exposed to heat. One source I found says the cones will open at a temperature of approximately 335 F for 20 seconds. The species has found its niche growing in wet, peaty areas with low nutrient availability. It is really only a major component in Florida pine flatwoods when the soil has a pH of 4.5 or less. They are usually not very majestic trees, but they can have a lot of character.
The one constant with pond pine seems to be some of the thickest and most flammable understory growth, and in Florida, that includes lots of mambo saw palmetto. Here is a stand that burned over with the saw palmetto not skipping a beat. 
Another fire adaptation pond pine has is its ability to resprout from dormant buds after being defoliated. I would imagine they're Best Friends Forever with the saw palmetto since it burns hot enough to take out the competition. 
Here's a shot of the little cones that stay closed for years on the branches. 
Here is a stand that hasn't burned in awhile, with a few loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus) and blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora) starting to sneak in there. 
They hybridize with loblolly pine, especially in Delaware, along with slash pine. I don't know about this one, but it looks a little "slashy" to me. 
Here's a stocky one with a thick crown. 
These yellow-green saw palmettos actually had quite a bit of fruit on them. 
I took these today in Jacksonville, not too far from the St. Johns River. The flatwoods within 20 miles of the river seem to have a lot more pond pine habitats than the rest of the state.
Jay
N 30.5 W 84.2
Elev: 150 ft.
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