Jeffrey's Pine is a large, long-lived needled evergreen tree native to Oregon south through Baja California and can be confused with the ponderosa pine. The Jeffrey pine can occupy many sites from the edges of moist, high mountain meadows to arid slopes bordering deserts and it will grow over a wide range of elevations but usually above 5000 ft. It grows in harsh and infertile sites and is tolerant of drought and cold weather. It can grow up to 140 feet tall in ideal conditions. Its preference is for gravelly to sandy moist soils in full sun. Due to the size of this tree, it is best used in naturalized areas. May do well in the mountains of NC but may not tolerate the heat and humidity of the Piedmont and coastal areas. Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This tree is susceptible to wind damage. 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); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Conical; Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Needles are 3 per fascicle, spreading-ascending, persisting 5-8 years, and 7-11 inches long. They are slightly twisted, blue-green, all surfaces with fine stomatal lines, margins finely serrulate, and apex acute to acuminate.
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit detail
Oval female cones are 6-10 inches long with inward-facing spines making them feel smooth.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is cinnamon brown, thick, deeply furrowed and cross-checked, forming large irregular scaly plates, with an odor of lemon, vanilla or pineapple during the growing season.
Branches are spreading-ascending. The twigs are stout purple-brown and often glaucous, aging rough. Buds ovoid, tan to pale red-brown, non-resinous. Scale margins conspicuously fringed.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Western U.S.A
Distribution
Oregon south to Baja CA and western NV
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. Seeds are eaten by small mammals and birds. It provides cover for wildlife. Deer resistant