Apache Pine
Pinus engelmannii
A southwestern pine of the Sierra Madre and Arizona–New Mexico borderlands, notable for very long, drooping needles and a grass-like seedling stage. Young trees resemble a tuft of grass before the trunk elongates.
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Drought-tolerant once established
- Difficulty
- Moderate
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Overview
Apache pine is a medium-sized conifer of the Madrean sky-island and Sierra Madre highlands, ranging from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico south into Mexico. It is distinguished by exceptionally long needles—among the longest of any North American pine.
Like longleaf pine, its seedlings pass through a 'grass stage,' looking like a clump of grass while the root system develops before the stem shoots upward. This adaptation helps it survive periodic ground fires.
It typically grows in open montane woodland alongside oaks and other pines, often at the upper edge of grasslands.
How to identify it
- Needles: very long (10–15 in / 25–38 cm), drooping, gray-green, usually in bundles of three
- Seedlings: pass through a grass-like stage with no obvious stem
- Cones: medium to large (4–6 in), conical, woody, often slightly curved
- Bark: dark, thick and furrowed into rough plates
- Crown: open and rounded with stout branches
- Size: typically 50–80 ft (15–24 m) tall
Care & growing
Plant in full sun in well-drained soil; it is adapted to dry montane climates with summer monsoon rains.
- Water: drought-tolerant once established; appreciates summer moisture during establishment
- Soil: tolerates rocky, poor soils; needs good drainage
- Temperature: hardy in warm-temperate mountain climates (roughly USDA zone 8)
- Feeding: minimal
- Propagation: from seed; expect slow above-ground growth during the grass stage
Be patient with young plants, which invest in roots before height.
Habitat & origin
Native to the Madrean sky islands of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico and the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico, generally between about 5,000 and 8,000 ft elevation.
It grows in open pine-oak woodland and the upper margins of montane grasslands, in a climate with dry springs and monsoon-fed summers. It is rarely cultivated outside its native region.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 'grass stage'?
Apache pine seedlings spend their early years as a grass-like tuft, building a strong root system before sending up a stem—an adaptation that helps them survive ground fires.
How long are the needles?
Very long—often 10–15 inches—giving the tree a shaggy, drooping appearance and the alternate name Arizona longleaf pine.
Where does Apache pine grow?
In the sky-island mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico and the Sierra Madre of Mexico, in pine-oak woodland.
Is it hard to grow?
It is moderately challenging mainly because of its slow grass-stage growth and its need for a warm, dry montane climate with summer rains.
Apache Pine guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Apache Pine.
