bristlecone fir

An evergreen, coniferous tree of slender habit, reaching up to 20 - 35m when mature. New distinctive shoots are non-resinous, long and spindle-shaped. Sharp-pointed, dark glossy needles, silvery green beneath, are among the longest and widest of all Abies, growing to 5cm long and 3 mm wide. They cover branches in 3 or 4 ranks. The species is also distinctive by its unique, golden-brown seed cones. Ovoid, up to 8cm long cones have large, protruding bracts with long, narrow, reflexed points, often covered with drops of resin.