Pine Tree Drive on Miami Beach has been the focus of both city officials and preservationists in recent months. The Australian Pines planted in the median of this thoroughfare served an agricultural purpose long before they provided shade and aesthetics for a busy street on the beach. Originally planted by John Collins, one of the founders of Miami Beach, the trees represent a public safety concern given their age and shallow root system.

Australian Pines are not indigenous to Florida and typically has a lifespan much shorter than the trees that anchor the median on Pine Tree Drive. While they served the purpose of protecting Collin’s crops in the early part of the last century and have provided much needed shade to the road that was designed to incorporate the trees, there is a lot of talk of removing the whole lot given the public safety concern.

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