Pinus sabiniana

Common Names

Gray Pine, Foothill Pine, Ghost Pine, Digger Pine, Bull Pine, Foothills Pine, California Foothill Pine, California Gray Pine, Grayleaf Pine, Nut Pine, Sabine Pine, Towani Pine, Pinon Pine, Sabin Nut Pine

Summary

Foothill Pine is a California-endemic evergreen conifer with an open, airy habit and often a multi-trunk form, featuring blue-green needles in fascicles of three that are 15–32 cm long and large brown cones 15–25 cm, with dark brown, deeply furrowed bark; typical height ranges from 40–80 ft.

It grows best in full sun with dry, well-drained soils and tolerates poor or serpentine substrates with very low to low water needs; in landscapes it serves as a background or park tree and adapts to formal, Japanese, Mediterranean, ranch, seascape, and Spanish design styles, with hardiness in Zone 8; seeds are edible for wildlife and the tree contributes to erosion control and windbreaks.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

40-70 ft

Spread

20-40 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zone 8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun.

Soil Type

Well-drained, sandy, loamy, or rocky soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

5-8, mildly acidic to neutral soils

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Grey Green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall color; evergreen

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen needle

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seed propagation; stratification 2–4 months; no vegetative propagation

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds