Foxtail Pine is a high-elevation, five-needled pine found in two separate populations in California — one in the Klamath Mountains and one in the southern Sierra Nevada. It closely resembles the Bristlecone Pine in its wind-sculpted, ancient appearance and its preference for harsh, rocky, high-elevation sites. The needles are densely packed on short shoots, giving branches a distinctive foxtail-like appearance. Individual trees can live 1,000 to 2,000 years, making them among the longest-lived trees in North America.
Habitat
Rocky subalpine slopes and ridges above 8,000 feet in the Klamath Mountains and southern Sierra Nevada, California.
Diet
Seeds consumed by Clark's nutcrackers and red squirrels; grows in areas with limited wildlife diversity due to extreme conditions.
How common
Rare
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