Pinus Species, Bull Pine, Digger Pine, Foothills Pine, Grey-Leaf Pine, Gray Pine

I first fell in love with this pine on my trips to the nurseries in Auburn, Ca. from Reno, Nv. I was afraid to try them initially becaus...Read Moree the information on them is that they can't handle cold weather. I've had them for 5 years now and I planted them close to the house. They will
be transplanted next year to a more open area. They handle -15 degrees okay, so they are not as sensitive to the cold. They really like the sun so don't plant them as an under story or they will grow long and skinny. If you feed them a good compost tea they grow really fast.

Native to foothill areas (Sierra and coast range) throughout California (not just SoCal, as indicated by another). Very tolerant of droug...Read Moreht and poor soils; though will grow well if watered (though not in swampy soil). Fast growing. Trunks often twist and fork; may grow nearly horizontally out of steep slopes. A favorite roost for hawks, eagles, vultures, and sometimes turkeys. Older trunks can be very picturesque. Not shade tolerant. Needles are very long and sparse; not much shade is given. Big, spiny cones. Seeds (pine nuts) are edible and high in protein. Collect seeds in fall and winter. Seeds benefit from cold stratification about 6 weeks. These trees grow wild on my Northern California property. I'm planting some seeds and will be using the trees in some native plantings. I'm going to experiment with some bonsai-like, pine pruning techniques for some unique effects and possibly improved foliage cover. Early in life, these trees are very gangly and easily manipulated. I'll let you know how it goes.

I love this tree because it reminds me of the California foothills. I now live in NW Arkansas and have planted six Diggers on a south f...Read Moreacing slope. doing great, even with the humidity and summer rainfall. Seem to be more tolerant of the southeast then other CA conifers. my trees were grown from seed I gathered in the Middle Fork American River canyon near Auburn, Ca.

Until recently, P. sabiniana was commonly called "Digger Pine" in reference to its food use by native American tribes in Californi...Read Morea (referred to as "diggers" by white settlers.) The term was historically a perjorative reference, and the common name is less-frequently used now, although some references still cite it.