Bristlecone Pine, Foxtail Pine, Hickory Pine

A few of this western soft pine are sold at larger nurseries in the Midwest as small plants about 1 to 3 feet high. I planted one small p...Read Morelant in an island bed circle surrounded by road at a hospital's entrance in ne Illinois. It lived several years and looked cute, but it probably died from road salt.

This is a native species to my area in northern Arizona, but only in the highest reaches of the San Francisco peaks wilderness area close...Read More to the treeline (approx 11,500 feet). It's extremely hardy to cold, adverse conditions and can thrive in poor rocky soils. So far, the two I have in my yard at 5,600 feet are growing just fine, they are extremely slow growers though, but do make stunning centerpieces for a yard with their tightly packed, resin dotted needles.

This Pine tree has been known to grow as high as 40 ft. and have a 2.5 ft wide trunk. The bark on the young trees is smooth and off-whiti...Read Moresh, wilst on the older trees the bark is fissured, scaly and reddish brown. The purplish-brown cones hang from the branch instead of standing up on the branch. The scales on the cones are equipped with a quarter inch, incurved and stiff prickle on the tips. The dark green and curved needles are about 1.5" long, bunched in a bundle of five and form a crowded bush-like bundle on the ends of the branches. They can stay on the tree for about 30 years before they are dropped. This pine occures in nature in Spruce-fir forests up to the timberline at about 9500-12,000 ft. elevation but is found only on the San Fransisco Peaks in Arizona, but is also native to Colorado and New Mexico. At the timberline it looks like a twisted, bushy shrub. Though sometimes not reported as being in California, some of these trees in CA are over 4,000 years old. Some of the ones on the San Fransisco peaks in Arizona were dated by the tree ring method as being over 1400 years old.

Sometimes called Hickory Pine or Foxtail Pine. This pine rarely grows over 20 feet. This tree is a dwarf, growing very slowly; 1 to 2 i...Read Morenches per year. A 16 year old plant being only 4 feet tall. Its dark bluish green needles, 5 in a bundle, are usually less than 1 ½ inches long. It is picturesque, due to its dwarfed, rather twisted growth habit. It grows largest in Arizona, occasionally reaching 50 feet. Some specimens in Arizona have been estimated to be 4,000 years old. Does well in all climates and most soils, and all elevations from sea level to 12,000 feet. Holds needles for 20 years. Likes ordinary to poor soil, good drainage. A unique specimen in a garden or island planting. EXCELLENT BONSAI SUBJECT. Zone: 4-7. Height: 20 Feet.

(from Musser Forests catalog)