Latin Name - Pinus aristata
Height - 20-25 feet
Spread - 10-20 feet
Growth Rate - Very Slow
USDA Zone - 4
Drought Tolerance - Moderate
A tree of great character and age, the bristlecone pine inhabits windy ridge tops and rocky crags throughout the Intermountain West. This species, Pinus aristata, is commonly found in nurseries and grows in Colorado and New Mexico. Its beautiful green needles grow in bundles of five and are flecked with resin dots, giving the plant a bottlebrush appearance. The bristlecone gets its name from short, sharp prickles that protrude from the ends of the cone scales. Grab a dry cone, squeeze, and you will quickly appreciate the name, though you might have to go to Cedar Breaks to find trees old enough to produce cones. Utah’s native bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva, is now considered a separate species and is seldom found in commerce.