Pine, Bristlecone
Pinus longaeva (aristata)
Pinaceae - Pine
Description
Leaves: Needles in groups of 5; 1" to 1-1/2" long; dark green; curved; stiff; evergreen, remain on tree 10- 17 years; usually lightly covered with white specks of dried resin.
Twigs/buds: Twigs orange-brown, becoming black when older. Buds 1/3" long; covered with brown scales.
Flowers/fruit: Monoecious. Fruit a woody cone; short stalk; about 3" to 3-1/2" long; brown; scales thick and tipped with a long bristle; seeds smaller than limber pine and winged.
Bark: Thin, smooth, and gray-white on young stems; furrowed and red-brown on older stems.
Wood: Unimportant; fairly soft; heartwood light red-brown.
General: Native in scattered mountainous areas in the interior West, including Utah. Slow growing and very long-lived (over 4,000 years old) on dry, tough sites. Shade intolerant.
Landscape Use: Seldom used but should be more often; can be found at nurseries; very slow-growing; nice dark green color and interesting, sometimes contorted form; needs little or no supplemental water once established. Zones 5-7. Used to be named Pinus aristata; Welsh et al. consider the bristlecone pine growing in Utah and farther west to be P. longaeva, with P. aristata found in Colorado.
Cultivars: 'Sherwood Compact'.
Characteristics
General
Family | Pinaceae - Pine |
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Cultivar Availability | No |
Hardiness Zone | 5-7 |
Type | Conifer |
Utah Native | Yes |
Growth
Growth Rate | Low |
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Mature Height | Medium |
Longevity | High |
Is Good Under Power Lines | No |
Crown Shapes | Irregular |
Ornamental
Bark | No |
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Fall Color | No |
Flowers | No |
Foliage | Yes |
Fruit | Yes |
Tolerance
Shade | Low |
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Salt | Medium |
Drought | High |
Poor Drainage | Low |
Alkalinity | High |
Transplanting | Medium |