Taxon Report

Abies bracteata (D. Don) Poit.

bristlecone fir

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Abies bracteata, commonly known as bristlecone fir, is a perennial evergreen tree in the Pinaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Broadleafed upland forest, Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Riparian woodland, growing at elevations from 183 to 1555 meters. Abies bracteata is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Abies bracteata (D. Don) Poit.
Common Name:	bristlecone fir
Family:	Pinaceae
Element Code:	PGPIN01030
USDA Plants Symbol:	ABBR
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen tree
Blooming Period:
Elevation:	183-1555 (600-5100)
General Habitats:	Broadleafed upland forest, Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, Riparian woodland
Microhabitat:	Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Global Rank:	G2G3
State Rank:	S2S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_NT; SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	80
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	14
Fair (C)	9
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	50

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Monterey (MNT), San Luis Obispo (SLO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Adelaida (3512067), Alder Peak (3512183), Big Sur (3612137), Burnett Peak (3512172), Burro Mountain (3512173), Cape San Martin (3512184), Chews Ridge (3612135), Cone Peak (3612114), Junipero Serra Peak (3612124), Lopez Point (3612115), Partington Ridge (3612126), Pebblestone Shut-in (3512161), Pfeiffer Point (3612127), San Simeon (3512162), Sycamore Flat (3612134), Tassajara Hot Springs (3612125), Ventana Cones (3612136), Villa Creek (3512174)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	33	41 %
Improper burning regime	27	33%
Road/trail construction/maint.	5	6%
Other	4	5%
Wood cutting or brush clearing	3	3%
Surface water diversion	1	1%
Military operations	1	1%

Notes



Known only from the Santa Lucia Mtns. Threatened by non-native plants. Possibly threatened by road maintenance.
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 27 February 2025].