Bristlecone Pine

Pinus aristata

Pinaceae · coniferous tree · native

Last updated May 11, 2026

Quick Facts

Height

500 ft

Spread

13 ft

Growth Rate

Slow

Light

Full Sun

Soil

Well Drained

Water

Low

Hardiness

Zone Zones 4a–8b

Origin

the mountains of Colorado

Damping-offHigh

Spring Sowing - Preemergence Damping-off Risk

Twig BlightHigh

Spring Spore Release

Eriophyid miteHigh

Spring Dispersal & Bud Invasion

Pine needle scaleHigh

Crawler Emergence

+ 4 more — see full disease and pest lists below

Phenological Calendar

Stage	Typical Window	What to Look For
Candle elongation BBCH 11	Feb 15-Mar 15	Pale, elongating shoots (candles) covered in papery scale leaves. Five needles per fascicle emerge as candle extends. Extremely long-lived tree (thousands of years)
Pollen release BBCH 61	Jul 1-Jul 31	Male strobili usually clustered at base of current year's candles; purple pollen visible
Pollen shed complete BBCH 69	Jul 15-Aug 15	Female conelets (small, reddish or purple) visible at shoot tips after pollination
Cone development (year 1-2) BBCH 71	Jun 1-Aug 31	Cones elongate. Five-needle fascicles characteristic. Small cones 4-8 cm. Mature over second year
Cone maturity and seed shed BBCH 85	Sep 1-Nov 30	Woody cones 4-8 cm long; scales spread to release winged seeds

Diseases: Regionally Documented (24)

Endocronartium harknessii Western Gall Rust Cronartium ribicola White Pine Blister Rust Phytophthora spp. (P Phytophthora Root Rot Lophodermium spp. Lophodermium Needle Cast Lophodermella concolor Lophodermella Needle Cast Elytroderma deformans Elytroderma Needle Cast Arceuthobium spp. (parasitic plant) Dwarf Mistletoe Armillaria spp. — primarily A Armillaria Root Rot Symptom category — not a single disease Canker Cyclaneusma minus Cyclaneusma Needle Cast Several soilborne Damping-off Dothistroma septosporum (and/or D Dothistroma Needle Blight (Red Band) Gray Mold Heterobasidion occidentale Otrosina & Garbel Heterobasidion Root Disease In most Hypocotyl Rot and Root Rot Davisomycella medusa Medusa Needle Blight Rhabdocline spp. including R Needle Cast Needle Rusts Bursaphelenchus xylophilus Pine Wilt Excess sodium chloride Salt Damage Sirococcus conigenus Sirococcus Shoot Blight Fomitopsis officinalis, Porodaedalea pini, and other wood... Stem Decay Diaporthe vaccinii or Diplodia tip blight agents Tip Blight Multiple fungal species cause twig blight on different ho... Twig Blight

Pests: Regionally Documented (18)

Eriophyidae Eriophyid mite Pineus strobi Pine bark adelgid Dioryctria spp. Coneworm Pine Aphid Pissodes strobi White pine weevil Tetranychidae Spider mite Synanthedon sequoiae Sequoia pitch moth Pine Needle Sheathminer Pine Sheath Miner Chionaspis pinifoliae Pine needle scale Pine Butterfly Coloradia pandora Pandora moth Dendroctonus ponderosae Mountain pine beetle Rhyacionia buoliana European pine shoot moth Nuculaspis californica Black pineleaf scale Neodiprion spp. Pine sawfly Eulachnus agilis Powdery pine needle aphid Otiorhynchus spp. Root weevil Schizolachnus piniradiatae Woolly pine needle aphid

Cultivars (1)

'Bashful 75'

Common name: Bashful #75 Bristlecone PineBashful Bristlecone Pine

Hardy to USDA Zone 4

Data Maturity

Structured Multiple sources. Expert review underway.