Pinus balfouriana

A slow growing pine, able to reach 22m (73ft) when mature, with an upright to leaning trunk, up to 2.6m (9ft) in diameter, bearing pinkish-brown, strongly fissured bark and a broadly conical canopy, often with contorted branches. The trees are capable of reaching a very great age in habitat. The evergreen, deep, blue-green needles are produced in groups of five and are up to 4cm (1½in) long. They are strongly persistent and can live up to 30 years before being shed. The purple to red-brown, oval to cylindrical cones, take two years to mature and are soon shed after dispersing their seeds.