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Conifer · Pinaceae Draft — unreviewed

Afghan pine

Pinus brutia subsp. eldarica

Also called Mondell pine, eldarica pine. Synonyms: Pinus eldarica.

One of the few pines that tolerate low-desert heat and alkaline soil. Used for windbreaks and tall evergreen screens in the Southwest.

Size over time

Typical landscape size 9–15 m (30–49 ft) tall and 5–8 m (16–26 ft) wide; fast growth, about 15 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #15 install size.

051015mPlanting1.8 × 0.9 mYear 39.4 × 5.0 mYear 1011.9 × 6.4 mMature12.0 × 6.5 m

Design notes

  • Water deeply and infrequently; shallow-watered trees topple in monsoon winds.
  • Pine bark beetles attack drought-stressed trees.

Regions

Native range: Caucasus region and western Asia.

Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.

Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.

Related plants

Plan with Afghan pine

Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.