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Sarasota News Leader September 27, 2013 prickly cones. I have also enjoyed the sweet sound of the wind blowing through their needles at beach picnics. But my warmest (pun intended) memories of "ironwood" come from recollections of being comforted on a cold winter's night by the heat of a seasoned Australian pine burning in my living room fireplace. Page 107 support the fauna that are attracted to more giving species. The planting of Casuarina is outlawed in Florida and many other states, though, remarkably, it can still be found for sale on the Internet. Each person must decide for himself what the fate of the Australian pine should be. While I would never suggest anyone should plant more of them, it seems to me that where they exist now and serve a purpose — such as the spot in the accompanying photo taken at Ken Thompson Park on City Island — perhaps we could just allow them to live out their lives and replace them with native species as they disappear into extinction. Then the head intervenes. To the knowledgeable naturalist, "beef wood" — another of the Australian pine's monikers — is an ecological disaster. It is an invasive, brittle tree subject to damage during storms. Its roots are shallow, and I have seen the trees toppled by beach erosion on the shores of Siesta Key and Cayo Costa. Most damning is that they produce biochemicals that prohibit the growth of all other plant species, both native and exotic, in the same area. When allowed to proliferate, Rick Wielgorecki may be contacted at they render their habitat sterile and unable to 362-0600 or wielgo@hotmail.com. % County commissioners have sought reassurances that mature Australian pines in the picnic area at Siesta Public Beach will not be removed when park improvements get under way. Photo courtesy of Sarasota County