EcoWorld - Trees

Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva and Pinus aristata) are among the oldest living organisms on earth and can be found throughout the Great Basin in the western United States, with the oldest trees being found in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California.

Bristlecone pines in Great Basin National Park grow in groves just below the treeline where the temperatures are very cold, the winds strong and the growing season is short. Bristlecone Pines in these high elevation environments grow very slowly. Because of this, their wood is extremely dense and resistant to insects, fungi and rotting. Bristlecone Pines will grow higher and more rapidly in environments at lower elevations.

Height: in favorable conditions this tree can grow 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18 meters). Typically they are much shorter.

Lifespan: the Bristlecone Pine can grow for well over 2,000 years. The oldest known tree was over 4,900 years old and the oldest, still living, tree is over 4,700 years old.

Habitat and Range: Bristlecones occur in the high, arid mountain regions of six western states of the U.S., including California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Of these, the oldest are found at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California.

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TREES SOURCE: U.S. Forest Service U.S.D.A. National Parks Service National Parks Service