Bishop pine
Pinus muricata
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
medium
Size
480"–960" H × 240"–360" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
CA
Pollinators
wind pollinated
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaThis 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.
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