pinestraw works better on hillsides. the pine bark tends to wash down the hill.

I used to buy pine bark (I prefer the mini and buy it in bulk), but I found my dog likes to eat it. Therefore, I have changed to pinestraw for the areas to which he has access.

On a slope, something coarser like hardwood mulch does a better job of holding together during a rain. However, I have never tried pinestraw on a slope.

We always use the shredded hardwood mulch. It holds together nicely, even on our sloped areas. We usually get it from Green Brothers in Alpharetta.

I was under the impression that pinestraw degrades much faster than hardwood mulch but over the summer, my neighbors put down fresh hardwood mulch and it has long since disappeared. I have no idea where it went! And the same pinestraw that I had out for all this time is still there. A little flatter but it's there. Personally I like pinestraw for the appearance and think it's a unique kind of mulch to the GA region because people in other states don't even know what pinestraw is. One thing that makes me a nervous about it is flammability though.

Not all pinestraw is created equal. I found that big discount stores sell it the cheapest but some landscape supply places that just sell mulches and stuff tend to have the nice dark colored pinestraw that looks like it just came out of the oven. It's got a lot less twigs and pine cones in it too.