Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine, Pinus aristata, Tree Seeds

Hardy, Easy to Grow, Bonsai, Long Lived, Evergreen, Cold, Heat, Drought and Wind Tolerant

Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine is an extremely long lived pine that has been known to survive nearly 2,500 years. They are extremely slow growing, under adverse conditions; however, a 20 year old tree under cultivation can be expected to be about 4 feet tall. They are a scrubby, small, evergreen conifer with a lot of character. The appearance is very bushy with a rounded crown, and dense with foliage often stemming from ground level. Notable are the disfigured, twisted, and sheared semblances these pines can acquire while demonstrating their ability to continue to slowly grow in spite of the soil erosion; drought; wind, sand and ice blasting occurring in their timberline habitats. The needles are dark green with a bluish tinge. The cones are 2 to 4 inches long with bristles at each scale.

Similar species: Populations of Pinus longaeva have been separated from Pinus aristata by the Colorado Green River drainage, a distance of 260 km, for millions of years. They differ from each other in needle structure and cone morphology. Both are known as Bristlecone pines, live in high alpine environments and are famous for their longevity. Methuselah is the name given to a specimen of Pinus longaeva that is considered the oldest living tree in the world. Ages given vary from 4000 to 5000 years. Ages given for specimens of Pinus aristata vary from 1500 to 2500 years. One unique characteristic of Pinus aristata are the resin flecks; they look like little white dots all over the needles.

For live plants, we can't send them to Alaska and Hawaii. If the order has already been placed, we will cancel it.

Happy Gardening!