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Torrey pine Pinaceae Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carrière Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: PITO
Leaf: Evergreen needles, 8 to 13 inches long, 5 per fascicle, tufted near the ends of branches; stout, stiff, and dark green, with many stomatal bands.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones are yellow and borne in heads; female cones are reddish and stalked.
Fruit: Large woody cones (4 to 6 inches) with thick scales ending in a thick, straight spine; almost round when open. Take 3 years to mature, and remain on the tree for several years after opening. Seeds are large and edible with a short, detachable wing.
Twig: Very stout, smooth, green becoming black with age.
Bark: Dark gray to black with deep furrows and flat, scaly ridges.
Form: Medium sized (30 to 50 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet in diameter) evergreen conifer with open, spreading crown. May be shrubby on sites exposed to high winds and salt spray.
 Looks like: Coulter pine - gray pine - sugar pine - western white pine

Torrey pine leaf image
Torrey pine flower image
Torrey pine fruit image
Torrey pine twig image
Torrey pine bark image
Torrey pine form image
Torrey pine map image

Additional Range Information: Pinus torreyana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information