oops, forgot to add that I must mulch b/c while I own the land, the HOA Rules the land. Must use mulch (I actually am only supposed to use dark colors, jeesh!), rather than hay/straw/other options. Thanks. [in case anyone's wondering why I'm not considering those other wonderfully better-decomposing items]

cedar mulch. they stay in place better than pine bark. I usually go with aged hardwood mulch because they break down faster to humus and useable nutrients. They are also cheaper. Fresh cedar mulch seemed to last forever which isn't good in my situation when wanting to improve soil immediately.

I have to agree with lou, I have both types in my flower beds and the pine mulch floats away with the rain. The cedar mulch pretty much stays in place.

Many people opt for the slower to digest material "because it lasts longer" but one of the things mulches do is add organic matter to your soil and the longer a material takes to be digested the less organic matter gets added to your soil. The only time I have seen pine mulch float away with rain was on a slope too steep to be gardened without terracing, in which case even the cedar would float away. However, I would always tend to opt to spend less money on products that are about equal for the use I intended.

Thanks all! Exactly the pros/cons feedback I was looking for!

I prefer the look of pine bark in flower beds., plus I find it easier to deal with when replanting.

I mostly use cedar for paths or where I don't want anything to grow.