Virginia Tech Dendrology

southwestern white pine Pinaceae Pinus strobiformis Engelm. Listen to the Latin symbol: PIST3
Leaf: Evergreen needles, 2 to 3 inches long, in fascicles of 5, finely serated near tips, thin bluish-green with white stomatal lines only on inner surfaces, fascicle sheath deciduous.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males cylindrical, pale yellow, in clusters near branch tips; females light green to reddish, near ends of branches.
Fruit: Woody cone, 5 to 9 inches long, yellow-brown, thick scales bend backwards and have a narrow tip, matures in late summer.
Twig: Slender to moderate, green turning to a gray-brown, buds ovate, conical.
Bark: Gray-brown and initially smooth, becoming furrowed with scaly, rounded ridges.
Form: Medium sized straight tree with a conical crown when young, later broader with up-turned branches and a flat top.
 Looks like: limber pine - western white pine - whitebark pine - sugar pine
leaf fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Pinus strobiformis is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting southwestern white pine.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2018 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 maps courtesy USGS from USDA "Atlas of United States Trees" by Elbert L. Little, Jr., Vol. 1 (1971) 3 (1976) 4 (1977) 5 (1978)