Pinus pungens

Pinus pungens table mountain pine

Evergreen pine which will grow up to 12 m tall with a straight or crooked trunk up and a rounded, irregular crown. The epithet pungens refers to the prickly cones of this species. The cones stay on the tree for many years after opening.

Habitat & Range

Grows in dry, rocky soils on slopes of mountain ridges.

Characteristics

Tree single or multiple crooked trunks; wide irregular crown on horizontal branches

Needles two needles per cluster; stout, stiff and sightly twisted; dark green with white stripes

Bark reddish brown wih thin furrows and small scales

Cones green when young, turning light brown at maturity; in clusters of 3 to 5, often points downward; stalkless & egg-shaped; outer edge has curved spine; contains many windged seeds.