Tags: Conifer.
The bristlecone pines are three species of pine trees (family Pinaceae genus Pinus subsection Balfourianae). Some bristlecone pine individuals are more than 5000 years old and are the oldest known individuals of any species. Bristlecone pine grow in scattered subalpine groves at high altitude in arid regions of the Western United States. The name comes from the prickles on the female cones.
