Pinus sabiniana - Conifer - Bull Pine, California Foothill Pine, Digger Pine, Foothills Pine, Gray Pine, Grayleaf Pine, Sabine Pine Page

Pinus sabiniana, also known as Bull Pine, California Foothill Pine, Digger Pine, Gray Pine, Grayleaf Pine, and Sabine Pine, is a pine endemic to California. It has pale blue-green needles that can grow up to 12 inches, and large cones that can reach 10 inches in length. Its needles grow in fascicles of three, drooping down to 30 cm in length. The tree can grow up to 70 ft in height, typically reaching 40-50 ft. Its cones are large and heavy, with edible seeds, making it an important food source for local wildlife and indigenous people. This tree is well adapted to long, hot, dry summers, and can be found in the northern and interior portions of the California Floristic Province, as well as in the Sierra Nevada, the Coast Ranges foothills, the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, and the Mojave Desert sky islands. Pinus sabiniana also yields an essential oil called ‘Abietine’ that is obtained by distilling the resinous juices. Its historical name “Digger Pine” has also been used to describe the indigenous people who foraged for its seeds, a term which is avoided by some authors due to its pejorative origin.