What is Dade County Pine?

The first thing a Realtor points out in an old Conch house is the "Dade County Pine". But what exactly is it and what 's so great about it?

Dade County Pine is a subspecies of the Longleaf Yellow Pine, which is more commonly known as Heart Pine. In the 1800's vast forests stretched from southeast Virginia to Florida and around the gulf coast to eastern Texas. It was North America's version of the Amazon rain forest, and the supply seemed endless. By the 1920's , these forests were essentially gone with only about 2% remaining today.

What made this slow-growing variety so desirable as a construction material was its very high heart wood content. The tree is nearly all heart wood core as opposed to the outer sapwood. It is this high content of the resinous heart wood that makes the species so rigid and strong and accounts for its inherent resistance to rot and insects.

The southeastern part of the country was lierally built on Heart Pine. The Dade County Pine grew between the Everglades and the Atlantic ocean and even on some of the northern keys. The wood is actually white when cut, and takes on the familiar redish tone when exposed to air.

source: Livining in the Key West Styly anywhere!