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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Pinus strobiformis

Pinus strobiformis Engelm.

Southwestern White Pine, Border White Pine, Mexican White Pine, Border Limber Pine, Limber Pine

Pinaceae (Pine Family)

Synonym(s): Pinus ayacahuite, Pinus flexilis var. reflexa, Pinus reflexa

USDA Symbol: pist3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Southwestern white pine grows to 80 ft. in height and can attain a trunk diameter of over 3 ft. Slender branches form a broad, rounded crown. Bark on young trees is smooth and whitish-gray; as the tree matures the bark becomes dark brown and deeply furrowed. Needles, from 2-5 in. long, are blue-green.

The large seeds are consumed by wildlife and were eaten by southwestern Indians. This species of the Mexican border region was formerly considered a southern variety of Limber Pine, which has a broader, more northern distribution, is smaller, and has smooth-edged needles with white lines on all surfaces and shorter cones with thick, rounded, blunt-pointed cone-scales.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Fascicled
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Fruit Type: Cone
Size Notes: Up to about 80 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Brown
Bloom Time: Jun
Bloom Notes: Flowers inconspicuous. Pollen cones pale yellowish brown.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CO , NM , TX
Native Distribution: Mts. of Trans-Pecos, TX west to AZ & south to c. Mex.
Native Habitat: High elevation, Canyons, Hillsides, Slopes. Mountain canyons; 7000 to 10,000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky soils. Limestone-based, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay

Bibliography

Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.
Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Additional resources

USDA: Find Pinus strobiformis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Pinus strobiformis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Pinus strobiformis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2015-11-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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