Pinus aristata seed
LATIN NAME: PINUS ARISTATA
COMMON NAME: Bristlecone Pine
On the windswept ridges of the southern Rockies, the bristlecone pine grows as a gnarled, slow, weather-beaten tree with the short, dark-green needles in bundles of five and the small, woody cones tipped with long, bristle-like points, the old trunks twisting and whitening with age. The plant grows a dense, bushy clump, around sixty centimetres high. Site it in full sun, in deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The bristlecone pine appears in the studies of the oldest living trees of the high ranges, its gnarled form and its bristle-tipped cones keeping it in view in the work on the ancient woodlands of the southwest and the dendrochronology that reads the climate of the past. The research looks at the way the five-needle bundles hold the mountain cold, the bristly cones ripen and open, and the seed biology of the small, winged seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the alpine rock garden and the dry collector”s bed, the bristlecone pine makes the slow, gnarled, ancient statement that seems to carry the memory of the mountains. The twisted form is the living record of a thousand winters, and the tree makes the fine bonsai subject, the collector”s conifer and the tree of the cold, dry garden. It is a tree for the open, sunny, sharp-drained and airy place.
To grow the Bristlecone Pine from seed, give the winged seeds a long, cool, moist spell, then sow them on gritty compost.
Give the winged seeds a long, cool, moist spell, then sow them on gritty compost, and keep the young pines in the open, sunny spot. The bristle-tipped cones ripen with the years.
LATIN NAME: Pinus aristata
COMMON NAME: Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine, Colorado Bristlecone Pine
The bristlecone pine is one of the oldest living things on Earth, and it has stood on the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains for thousands of years. It grows into a rounded crown, to about twelve metres. It is named for the small, prickly bristles on its cones, and it grows at the very edge of the tree line, from 2,100 to 4,000 metres, in cold, dry, windswept conditions where almost nothing else can survive. The oldest bristlecone pines have lived for more than four thousand years, making them some of the longest-lived trees in the world.
The bristlecone pine belongs to the pine family, Pinaceae, and it is native to the high Rocky Mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico, with an isolated population in Arizona. It grows in the cold, dry subalpine conditions at the tree line, often on exposed, rocky ground.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a bristlecone pine from seed is a rare and deeply rewarding project. The seeds sit inside the small, woody cones, which open to release them in warmth and dryness, and they germinate best in cool, well-drained conditions. Sow them in pots of gritty, free-draining compost, cover them lightly, and keep them cool, bright and lightly moist. Germination can be slow, so be patient. Grow the young trees on in pots, giving them full sun, excellent drainage and protection from excessive wet, then plant them out in a sunny, well-drained, sheltered spot. A seed-raised bristlecone pine is a tree for a lifetime and beyond, with its ancient, sculptural beauty.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The bristlecone pine has an extraordinary and distinguished record in scientific research. Because the oldest trees have lived for more than four thousand years, the species has been central to dendrochronology, the study of tree rings, and researchers have used its rings to build some of the longest and most important climate records in the world, reaching back thousands of years. The tree has also been studied in ecology, and researchers have examined how it survives for so long in such harsh, cold, dry conditions, and why it is so remarkably resistant to decay, disease and stress. As one of the longest-lived organisms on Earth, the bristlecone pine has also been studied in research on longevity and on the biology of extreme environments. For a tree of such age and such importance to science, the bristlecone pine has an exceptionally rich record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the bristlecone pine is a survivor of the high peaks. Its cones and seeds feed birds and small mammals, and it grows at the very edge of the tree line, providing one of the last footholds for life in the high, cold mountains.
Its economic value lies mainly in science and conservation. It is one of the most important trees in the world for dendrochronology, the study of climate history through tree rings, and it is protected and studied in the national parks and forests where it grows, while it is also grown by enthusiasts for its ancient, sculptural beauty. For a grower, the bristlecone pine is a rare and precious tree, and for a gardener it brings a living link to the deep past, a tree that may outlive us all.
Name: Bristlecone Pine Tree Seeds Scientific Name: Pinus aristata leaf color: Evergreen Needle Hardiness zone: 4 through 7 plant height: 40-60 feet light requirements: full sun to part shade soil & water preferences: grows well in loamy, well-drained soils.
Growing Instructions:
- Scarification: Soak in water for 24 hours
- stratification: None required
- germination: sow seed 1/8″ deep, pack/tamp the soil, keep moist
The bark is gray-brown, thin, scaly at the base of the trunk.
Needles from dark green to bluish-green, needles 2.5-4 cm long, collected in bundles of five pieces.
Cones ovoid-cylindrical. Closed 5-10 cm long and 3-4 cm in diameter, lilac. Mature cones become after 16 months, they are yellowish-sandy color.
The seeds are 5 mm long, with a 10-20 mm wing.
This plant rarely lives up to 1500 years, however, the age of some plants can approach 2500 years. Pine spiny intermountain (another species of the same sub-section) can live up to 5000 years.