Description

Leaves: Needles in bundles of 5; 5" to 8" long; slender, drooping, and feathery when older; needle often bent sharply at base to hang down; grayish-green; evergreen, remain on tree 3 to 4 years.

Twigs/buds: Bluish-green or glaucous, hairless; darker with age; thick, ridged below needle bundles.  Buds grayish-brown to orangish-brown; cone-shaped to cylindrical, pointed, 1/4" to 3/8" long, resinous.

Flowers/fruit: Monoecious.   Fruit a woody cone; 1" to 2" stalk; cone 8" to 10" long and 2" wide; light-brown when ripe.

Bark: Orangish-brown to grayish-brown, smooth when young; becoming shallowly fissured with flaky plates when mature.

Wood: Information unavailable.

General: Native to Afghanistan, Nepal, and China; occasionally planted in Utah.  Potentially a large tree.   Needs average moisture; shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: Very nice long-needled pine with interesting large cones.  Fairly tough, but best planted in a location sheltered from dry summer winds and late-day winter sun.  I have seen this doing well in a somewhat sheltered location in Logan, Utah (zones 4-5), but it may be marginally cold- hardy.  Zones 5-7.

Cultivar: 'Zebrina'.

Characteristics