One of the oldest trees on earth, this tree is a dwarf, shrubby but picturesque specimen with an irregular (rounded, flattened) spread when young and retains these characteristics as it matures. Its tapering, twisted trunk is up to 3 feet in diameter. Its blue-green needles are aromatic and covered with a resinous fluid. It will grow in a variety of soil types including dry, infertile or rocky. You may want to protect from drying winds. Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This tree is susceptible to wind damage. Watch for bark beetles, aphids and needle scale. Diseases include white pine blister rust and dwarf mistletoe. See pests of conifers to the left. More information on Pinus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Oval
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green; White
Leaf type
Needles; Simple
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf value
Fragrant; Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
1 to 1.7 in. bluish-green needles in bundles of 5, often dotted with white resin.
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Buds are ovoid-shaped, inconspicuous
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit size
> 3 inches long
Fruit detail
Inconspicuous, thorn-like appearance
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Gray to red-brown bark is shallowly fissured with long, flat irregular ridges.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Southwestern USA
Wildlife value
This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Attracts
Moths; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area; Walkways; Woodland
Landscape theme
Nighttime Garden; Rock Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Foundation Planting; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen