Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Foxtail pine is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges and northern Coast Ranges in subalpine forest at elevations of 2,100 to 2,500 meters. The plant features thin, gray-brown bark arranged in narrow ridges with distinctive blue-green needles that persist for less than 15 years. Growing as a compact shrub with gnarled, wind-sculpted branches, it forms dense clusters in harsh high-elevation environments. Its needles are approximately blue-green in color, clustered in bundles characteristic of pine species. In these extreme mountain habitats, the foxtail pine demonstrates remarkable resilience, adapting to challenging subalpine conditions with its distinctive compact growth form.

Habitat: Subalpine forest

Elevation: 2100-2500 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRH.

California counties: Trinity, Siskiyou

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.