Pinus torreyana (Torrey pine)

Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carrière

Torrey pine

These endangered pines are found in the wild in only two small regions of the west coast of California.

Plants: Trees are 49–75′ (15–23 m) tall, typically crooked and irregular in shape because of winds from the ocean. Bark is red-brown to purple-red, and deeply furrowed.

Leaves: Needles, usually five per group, are typically 8–12 ⨉ 1/16″ (20–30 cm ⨉ 2 mm), dark green, sometimes slightly twisted.

Fruits: Cones are heavy, oval or nearly round, 4–6″ (10–15 cm) long, and yellow- to red-brown.

Habitats: Low coastal bluffs flanking the Soledad Valley in SanDiego county, California.

For further information, see the Pinus comparison tables.

Online References:

The Gymnosperm Database

Blueplanetbiomes.org

CalPhotos at the University of California, Berkeley

The Encyclopedia of Stanford Trees, Shrubs and Vines

Plants for a Future

References:

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 34

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California · ≈ 3 × 2′ (98 × 65 cm)

Rachel McCarty, a horticulturist at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, explains that this is a “witch’s broom," a genetic or viral anomaly or some other abnormal response. · 2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California · ≈ 5 × 3½′ (1.6 × 1 m)

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9.3 × 6.2 cm)

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California · ≈ 3 × 2″ (8.4 × 5.6 cm)

2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Coniferophyta	Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs)
Class	Pinopsida	Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews
Order	Pinales	Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others
Family	Pinaceae	Pine family: cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces
Genus	Pinus	Latin for “pine”
Species	torreyana	Named for botanist and discoverer John Torrey

About plant names...

Range: Zones 8-10:

About this map...

Pinus torreyana description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.