Description

Leaves: Bright green to blue green; evergreen needles; 3" to 6-1/2" in length; thin, sometimes twisted; in fascicles of 2 or 3 needles.

Twigs/buds: Twigs red-brown; medium to stout. Buds red-brown, narrowly egg-shaped.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers monoecious; yellowish male cones; green female cones when young; not showy or conspicuous. Fruit a cone; red-brown; egg-shaped to oblong, 3" to 4" in length.

Bark: Silver-gray and smooth when younger, but becoming darker and more furrowed with age; attractive.

Wood: Little information available.

General: Native to the Mediterranean region, Russia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Rehder shows this and Pinus halepensis being the same species. Often grown in Texas. Habit pyramidal and narrow when young, but irregular with age, growing to heights of 30' to 40'. Makes a good Christmas tree. Not cold hardy; it is adapted to hot, dry desert climates (has high drought tolerance); needs little water. Shade intolerant; plant in full sun. Pine tip moth can damage twigs.

Landscape Use: Commonly seen in St. George area. Use as a screen or specimen on open lawn. Often a flat-topped and attractive canopy with nice, long needles. Plant in warm desert climates where a pine is desired. Do not plant where it will encounter hard frosts on a regular basis. Zones 8-10.

Characteristics