Taxon Report

Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey

bristlecone pine

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Taxon Summary

Pinus longaeva, commonly known as bristlecone pine, is a perennial evergreen tree in the Pinaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Subalpine coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2200 to 3700 meters. Pinus longaeva is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey
Common Name:	bristlecone pine
Family:	Pinaceae
Element Code:	PGPIN04180
USDA Plants Symbol:	PILO
Synonyms/Other Names:	Pinus aristata Engelm.

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen tree
Blooming Period:
Elevation:	2200-3700 (7220-12140)
General Habitats:	Subalpine coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.3
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S3S4
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_LC; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_KewBG; SB_USDA
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Blanco Mtn. (3711842), Cerro Gordo Peak (3611757), Juniper Mtn. (3711862), Last Chance Mtn. (3711736), Mazourka Peak (3611881), Mt. Barcroft (3711852), New York Butte (3611768), Telescope Peak (3611721), Westgard Pass (3711832)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes



The name P. aristata has been misapplied to CA material. See Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 57:210-249 (1970) for revised treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].