Virginia Tech Dendrology

Monterey pine Pinaceae Pinus radiata D. Don symbol: PIRA2
Leaf: Evergreen needles, 4 to 6 inches long, 3 per fascicle, slender; shiny green; persist 3 years.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones in yellow spikes; female cones dark purple.
Fruit: Egg-shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, asymmetrical (especially at the base), shiny brown, often clustered in dense whorls, serotinous (remain closed on the tree for many years); cone scales thick and rounded, tipped with a small prickle.
Twig: Slender and dark orange.
Bark: Mature bark is dark reddish brown; thick with deep ridges and furrows.
Form: Straight trunk with irregular, open crown, 50 to 100 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet in diameter. Cone clusters are often conspicuous on branches and trunk.
Looks like: ponderosa pine - knobcone pine - Jeffrey pine - Coulter pine

Additional Range Information: Pinus radiata is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material © 2021 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