Native Habitat:
Open forests, grassland-forest edges, and well-drained slopes.
 
Bloom Time:
April – May (male and female cones)
 
Growth Habit & Mature Size:
Evergreen conifer, typically 80–150 feet tall, with a straight trunk and long, slender needles grouped in bundles of three. Mature trees have deeply furrowed bark and produce large woody cones.
 
Light & Soil Requirements:
Full sun; thrives in well-drained sandy, loamy, or gravelly soils. Tolerates drought once established but prefers sites with moderate moisture.
 
Willamette Valley Native Companion Plants:
Festuca idahoensis, Camassia quamash, Achillea millefolium, Eriophyllum lanatum, Sidalcea campestris.
 
Urban Garden Function:
Provides vertical structure, shade, and year-round greenery in urban landscapes, parks, and large naturalized plantings. Works well as a specimen tree, in habitat restoration, and for layered plantings in native urban forests.
 
Wildlife Supported:
Seeds are eaten by birds such as crossbills and squirrels. Dense foliage offers nesting and shelter for birds and small mammals. Cones provide winter food for wildlife.
 
Historical Use:
Used by Indigenous peoples for timber, tools, and firewood. Bark and resin were utilized for medicinal and ceremonial purposes. Valued ornamentally and ecologically for shade, habitat, and timber.