bristlecone pine

American  

noun

1. a pine, Pinus aristata, of the southwestern U.S., bearing short needles crowded into long, thick bundles and cones having scales tipped with a slender, curved spine.

---

bristlecone pine British  

/ ˈbrɪsəlˌkəʊn /

noun

1. a coniferous tree, Pinus aristata , of the western US, bearing cones with bristle-like prickles: one of the longest-lived trees, useful in radiocarbon dating

---

Etymology

Origin of bristlecone pine

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; bristle + cone

Example Sentences

The park offers ancient bristlecone pine forests, incredible night skies, scenic foothills covered in sagebrush, the stunning 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak and the mysterious Lehman Caves.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024

Officially, the oldest tree on Earth is Methuselah, a bristlecone pine of the species Pinus longaeva in the Inyo National Forest of California that is at least 4,789 years old, according to the U.S.

From Scientific American • May 3, 2023

And Methuselah, a bristlecone pine in east-central California that is believed to be a stunning 4,855 years old, is generally considered the oldest living tree in the world.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2022

Extreme drought and bark beetles now threaten California’s Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to Methuselah, a 4,853-year-old bristlecone pine.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2022

Photo shows the gnarled trunk of a bristlecone pine.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015