Pinus muricata
Bishop pine
(c) Uki D. Lucas, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Pinaceae · Type: Tree · Native
Pinus muricata (Bishop pine) is a native California tree in the Pinaceae family, recognized by Coastal distribution and distinctive whorled, asymmetric closed cones.
Bishop pine is a California native shrub found in northern coastal, central coastal, northern San Francisco Bay, and northern Channel Islands bioregions in redwood forest, northern coastal conifer forest, closed-cone pine forest, and chaparral at elevations below 300 meters. With a distinctive trunk less than 51 meters tall and less than 1.2 meters wide, this pine has brown bark with rough ridges and a variable mature crown featuring large branches. Its needles grow in pairs, generally 5 to 15 centimeters long, appearing green and sometimes slightly twisted, with persistent needle sheaths. The seed cones are particularly notable, measuring 5 to 9.7 centimeters long, ovoid and brown, often whorled and persistent for many years, with either spreading symmetric cones featuring small scale tip knobs or reflexed asymmetric cones with larger angled scale tip knobs. Its branches and unusual cone structure make this pine a distinctive component of California's coastal and forest ecosystems.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Coastal distribution and distinctive whorled, asymmetric closed cones
Habitat and range
Habitat: Redwood forest, northern coastal conifer forest, closed-cone-pine forest, chaparral
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: Mendocino, Monterey, Marin, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, San Bernardino, Humboldt, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Ventura, Del Norte
Outside California: northern Baja California, Cedros Island
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudotsuga: Pine needles come bundled in groups with papery sheaths; Douglas-fir needles attach individually to smooth twigs.; vs Abies: Pine needles come bundled in groups of 2-5; fir needles attach individually and directly to twigs.; vs Sequoia: Pine has bundled needles in groups of 2-5; redwood has individual scale-like or awl-shaped leaves on flat sprays.; vs Casuarina: Pine has true needles bundled in groups; Casuarina has jointed branchlets with whorls of tiny scale leaves.; vs Cedrus: Pine needles are bundled in tight clusters of 2-5; cedar needles grow in dense rosette-like clusters on short shoots.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pinus muricata native to California?
Yes. Pinus muricata is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Pinus muricata grow?
Pinus muricata occurs in Mendocino, Monterey, Marin, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Pinus muricata belong to?
Pinus muricata is in the Pinaceae family, genus Pinus.
What habitat does Pinus muricata grow in?
Pinus muricata grows in Redwood forest, northern coastal conifer forest, closed-cone-pine forest, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.