Bishop pine
Pinus muricata
Last reviewed: September 2026
Toxicity unknown
Bishop pine (Pinus muricata) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
medium
Size
480"–960" H × 240"–360" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
CA
Pollinators
wind pollinated
Before you buy
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This pine is an evergreen conifer with an irregular, windswept crown and cones that often remain sealed on the tree for years, opening only with fire's heat. It grows along the coast in fire-adapted stands.
Wildlife value
Host plant for Pine White.
As a wind-pollinated conifer it offers little to pollinators directly, but pines as a group are a documented host for the Pine White butterfly, and the persistent cones feed seed-eating birds.
Common questions
- How much sun does Bishop pine need?
- Bishop pine grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Bishop pine bloom?
- Bishop pine blooms in April and May.
- Where is Bishop pine native?
- Bishop pine (Pinus muricata) is native to CA, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What butterflies or moths does Bishop pine host?
- Bishop pine is a larval host plant for Pine White.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
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