Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva (aristata))
Family:Pinaceae or Pine
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: 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. Welsh et al. consider the bristlecone pine growing in Utah to be Pinus longaeva.
Pictures:
Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis)
Family:Pinaceae or Pine
Leaves: Needles in groups of 5; 1-1/2" to 3" long; rigid; dark green; covered with lengthwise rows of fine, white lines; evergreen, remain on tree 5-6 years.
Twigs/buds: Twigs stout; very flexible; glabrous; silver-white to gray. Buds 1/3" to 1/2" long; pointed.
Flowers/fruit:Fruit a woody cone; short stalked; 3" to 8" long; light brown; thick, non-pointed scales; large, wingless seeds.
Bark:Thin; smooth; white to gray.
Wood: Unimportant; light and soft.
General:Native to higher elevations in Utah and the interior West. Often very long-lived and slow growing, occurring on dry, harsh sites. Very shade intolerant. Southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) is thought by some to be a variety of limber pine (P. flexilis var. reflexa); it has cone scale tips that curve back toward the base.
Landscape Use: Seldom used but should be more often; nice dark green color and very tough; don't over- water. Zones 4-7. Southwestern white pine (zones 5-9) could be used in Utah landscapes; it has a nice blue-green needle color and makes a good Christmas tree.
Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)
Family: Pinaceae or Pine
Leaves: Needles in groups of 2; 1" to 3" long; yellow-green; stout; evergreen, remain on tree 4-6 years.
Twigs/buds: Twigs stout; orange-brown to black when older. Buds about 1/4" long; covered with resin; dark brown.
Flowers/fruit: Fruit a woody cone; very short to no stalk; 3/4" to 2" long; oval; brown turning gray; each scale tipped with a prickle; cones often stay on trees and remain tightly closed for many years (such cones are called serotinous).
Bark: Orange-brown to gray; thin, even on older trees; scaly.
Wood: Moderately important; sapwood thick; heartwood light brown; used for lumber, posts, poles, and railroad ties.
General: Native to higher elevations in northern Utah and throughout the West and western Canada. Lodgepole pine in Utah sometimes is called Pinus contorta var. latifolia. Normal growth rate is relatively slow. Grows in dense, single-species stands formed when it seeds-in heavily after fires. Fairly drought resistant. Shade intolerant.
Landscape Use: Rarely planted in the landscape. Could be used occasionally where a natural, less manicured appearance is desired. Zones 2-6.
Pictures:
Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)
Family: Pinaceae or Pine
Leaves: Needles in groups of 2 and 3; 3" to 10" long; yellow-green; less sharp-pointed than those of Austrian pine; somewhat twisted; evergreen, remain on tree 3-6 years.
Twigs/buds: Twigs stout; orange-brown; smell like turpentine when crushed. Buds about 1/2" long; usually covered with resin droplets; cinnamon-brown colored.
Flowers/fruit: Fruit a woody cone; very short to no stalk; 3" to 6" long; reddish-brown; each scale armed with a short, sharp spine.
Bark: Dark brown to black on younger trees; older trees have large, thick plates, orange to cinnamon-red, separated by deep furrows; inner bark has vanilla smell.
Wood: Very important; sapwood white to yellow; heartwood yellow to light brown; growth rings distinct; used for lumber, millwork, and railroad ties.
General: Native to mountainous areas in southern two-thirds of Utah and throughout the West. Normal growth rate is relatively slow. Resists fires with thick bark. Drought resistant. Shade intolerant.
Landscape Use: Occasionally planted when a large, long-needled pine is desired in the landscape. Austrian pine is similar in appearance and more readily available in nurseries. Zones 3-7.
Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis)
Family: Pinaceae or Pine
Leaves: Needles in groups of 2; 1" to 2" long; fairly stiff; yellow-green; evergreen, remain on tree 3-9 years.
Twigs/buds: Twigs fairly stout; orange to brown colored. Buds small, oval, brown.
Flowers/fruit: Fruit a woody cone with very short or no stalk; 1" to 2-1/2" long; oval to round; reddish- brown; scales few and not tipped with a prickle; seeds wingless and large, about 1/2" long, thin-shelled, edible.
Bark: Fairly thin; ridged.
Wood: Unimportant except for firewood and occasionally fence posts; fairly hard.
General: Native throughout most of southern, central, and eastern Utah at mid-elevations; and throughout the southwestern U.S. The fruit (seed) is an important food for certain southwestern Indians. Grows on dry sites, often mixed with junipers. Shade intolerant.
Landscape Use: Seldom planted though could do well on dry sites. Sometimes present as native trees in housing developments--trees in this situation often do poorly due to over-watering and root damage; pinyons in these situations also pose a fire hazard. Zones 4-8.
Singleleaf Pinyon (Pinus monophylla)
Family: Pinaceae or Pine
Major differences from pinyon include:
Leaves: Needles not in groups--borne singly (this is the only pine with needles borne individually on the twig); evergreen, remain on tree 4-12 years.
General: Native to mid-elevations in a few, isolated locations in northern Utah, throughout Nevada, and in parts of central and southern California and Baja California. The seeds are edible as with pinyon. Dry sites. Shade intolerant.
Landscape Use: Rarely used--similar to pinyon. Zones 5-9.
