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Bristlecone Pine

Also Singleleaf Pinyon

(Pinaceae Pinus aristata)

Adopted in 1987.

Students from Ely, Nevada had the bristlecone pine adopted as a symbol for our state. The bristlecone pine is the oldest living thing on Earth, with some specimens in Nevada more than 4,000 years of age. The tree can be found at high elevations. Normal height for older trees is about 15 to 30 feet, although some have attained a height of 60 feet. Diameter growth continues throughout the long life of the tree, resulting in massive trunks with a few contorted limbs.

NRS 235.040 State trees. The trees known as the single-leaf pinon (Pinus monophylla) and the bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) are hereby designated as the official state trees of the State of Nevada.

[1:72:1953](NRS A 1959, 107; 1987, 785; 1997, 1604)

The Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata) shares the state tree designation. The bristlecone pine is the oldest living thing on Earth, with some specimens in Nevada more than 4,000 years of age. The tree can be found at high elevations. Normal height for older trees is about 15 to 30 feet, although some have attained a height of 60 feet. Diameter growth continues throughout the long life of the tree, resulting in massive trunks with a few contorted limbs.

Leaf: Acicular, short (1 to 1 1/2 inches long), curved, fascicles of 5, dark green but usually covered with white dots of dried resin. Remain on tree for 10-17 years, giving a bushy appearance that resembles a fox's tail.

Flower: Monoecious; male cones small, dark orange and often clustered near the ends of branches; female cones occur singly or in pairs near the ends of branches.

Fruit: Moderate sized woody cone (about 3 inches long) with a short stalk; imbricate scales are thickened and tipped with a long bristle, giving rise to its common name. Seeds are winged.

Twig: Orange-brown when young but darkening with age.

Bark: Young bark is thin, smooth, and gray-white later becoming furrowed and reddish-brown. Old trees on harsh, windy sites may have only a few strands of bark remaining in crevices where it is protected from sandblasting winds.

Form: Typically small and contorted by the wind and harsh growing conditions, grows very slowly.

Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom	Plantae -- Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta Seed plants
Division	Coniferophyta Conifers
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Pinaceae Pine family
Genus	Genus Pinus L. pine
Species	Pinus aristata Engelm. bristlecone pine