State tree of Nevada.

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In the early 1990's I planted a container plant into a circular bed surrounded by driveway at the south entrance of a hospital in the west suburbs of Chicago, IL. I bought the expensive little woody plant at a local large, diverse nursery. It lived in the bed for several years, but then died. I think it was the road salt that would fly into the bed as the salt truck passed by that killed it off. This species is native to the mountains of southwestern US in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and northern Arizona & New Mexico. This very slow growing species of about 2 to 4 inches/year on the cliffs and slopes of mountains exposed to strong winds and harsh conditions has been documented as having larger specimens living 4,000 to over 5,000 years. It is a soft pine with short needles about 1 to 1.75 inches long in bundles of 5. The needles are dotted with white resinous exudations that look sort of like white scale insects, but it is not, it is normal. It grows in nutrient poor, dry, rocky soils whether acid or alkaline, and does not tolerate shade or pollution. It is sold only by a few large, diverse nurseries or specialty nurseries. I have only seen a very few planted in the East or Midwest.

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