RESIDENTS MAY SOON FIND THEMSELVES PINING FOR TREES. PHOTO BY STAFF

On the Chopping Block    
Will Pine Tree Drive Lose Trees?

By Lee Molloy

Whether by foot or motor vehicle, traveling north or south on Pine Tree Drive is a magnificent experience — close to 300 Australian Pine trees line the street providing shade from the oppressive Florida sun, and adding a lush green to the urban color palette of Miami Beach. Although it hasn’t happened yet, there is a slight danger that one of those trees could fall on an unsuspecting nature lover.

A recent inspection by an independent expert has found that many of the pines may be in peril. “30 percent of the trees out there have some sort of basal decay,” Chris Latt, the Urban Forrester for the City of Miami Beach told The Lead. Basal decay is a kind of fungi that rots the base of the trees. At the same time, a separate fungus is attacking the roots.

“We will take a small sample to see how close the external exam correlates to the internal condition of the tree,” Latt said. “By dissecting them we can see how extensive it really is. We may find the whole base of the tree is decayed.”

  At the city commission meeting on Jan. 19, Assistant City Manager Jorge Gomez outlined the issue. He explained that as they are located in an historic area, for an autopsy to be performed on a sample of five or six trees, commissioners would have to give permission for the procedure to go ahead.  

“What is wrong with the trees — They’re dying?” Mayor Matti Bower asked. “Is there anything that can be done to restore them?”

Latt’s reply was not particularly encouraging.

“Not really,” he said. “The base and the roots of the trees are rotting.”

According to Latt, the Australian Pine found locally is a relatively short-lived species. “In Florida the average age is 40 to 60 years old,” he told The Lead. In their native environment they “can live more than a 100 years.” Therefore, no matter the outcome of the autopsies, the century old trees are reaching the end of their days. “Urban trees usually have a shorter lifespan,” Latt said.

 Commissioner Jonah Wolfson voiced the concern of many in the chamber — due to their age and the danger of one falling, Miami-Dade County officials would be likely to err on the side of caution. “They’re probably going to take these trees down,” he said. However, “what comes next?” he asked.

The Australian Pine, as the name suggests, is not a species indigenous to the United States. It was introduced to this country in the early 1900s, and in roughly the last 20 years, is thought to have quadrupled in number in South Florida. It has been designated as an invasive species, and it would be illegal to replace them without exceptions granted by state and county governments.

Therefore, if an exception is not granted to replace the Australian Pines, a viable alternative will have to be found.

Native to South Florida, Slash Pines may seem a good option. However, according to Latt, due to the concentration of sand and salt water in the soil of Miami Beach, that species does not thrive in the city, even though they grow fine in other parts of the county. Furthermore, other tropical pines from the region such as the Caribbean and Mexican pines may work, but are by no means a certainty as their growth may also be impaired for the same reasons.

 “We haven’t come up with a good alternative yet,” Latt says.

Concerned about what will happen if a solution is not found, Commissioner Deede Weithorn doesn’t relish having to deal with the potential fallout.

“I don’t want to have to change the name of the street,” she said.