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Pinus aristata
Also called Colorado Bristlecone Pine, Hickory Pine, Bristlecone pine, Foxtail Pine, Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine, Pricklecone Pine
Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine is a long-lived conifer of high, cold, dry mountains in the western US, usually found near the tree line. It is grown in gardens mainly as a hardy, slow ornamental that needs full sun, good drainage and cold winters.
Pinus aristata, the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine or Colorado bristlecone pine is a long-lived species of bristlecone pine tree native to the United States. It is found in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and northern New Mexico, with an isolated population in the San Francisco Peaks of Arizona. It is found at very high altitudes, from 2,100 to 4,000 meters (6,900 to 13,100 ft) in cold, dry subalpine climate conditions, often at the tree line, although it also forms extensive closed-canopy stands at somewhat lower elevations.
The Colorado bristlecone grows in three western US states, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Rocky Mountain bristle cone reaches its northern limit at approximately 40 degrees north latitude. They are widely distributed in the Southern Rocky Mountains, but are limited to small areas within its range. The elevation range where it grows is widest, from 2,100 to 4,000 meters (6,900 to 13,100 ft), in the state of Colorado. The Arizona population is only found above 2900 m and only as high as 3700 m. In New Mexico the trees start at a similarly high elevation of 3000 m and have the same maximum as in Arizona.
Formerly it was used for fuel, electric utility poles, signposts, and as support timbers in mines.
Arizona Pine · Chinese White Pine · Mexican White Pine · Jack pine · Turkish Pine · Lacebark Pine · Canary Islands Pine · Caribbean pine · Swiss Pine · Mexican Pinyon · Sand Pine · Lodgepole Pine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pinus aristata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
