Pinus flexilis 'Foxtail'

The Foxtail Pine is a five needle tree that can only be found in two separated populations in California, one in the Klamath Mountains and one in the Sierra Mountains. Foxtail Pines very closely resemble the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, both of which grow at extremely high elevations in harsh environments. The most interesting feature that differentiates Foxtail Pines from all other Pines is that the branches tend to grow long and straight without forking, causing a single "tail" to be up to three feet long without a single side branchlet. As this form continues as the trees mature, Foxtail Pines will typically develop into a thick tapered trunk with few true branches and only dense tufts of "tail" like branches. The Foxtail Pine is closely related to the Bristlecone Pines (such as the Rocky Mountain and Great Basin Pines) and the Foxtail Pine's name is used for the subsection Balfourianae to describe all of the true Bristlecone Pines. Because the Bristlecone Pines are native to extreme elevations in poor, rocky soils they can be difficult to grow in landscapes but are very popular with Bonsai growers. Foxtail and other Bristlecone Pines require well drained soil and perform poorly in clay, however in their native soils they develop deep taproots which allow them to access moisture throughout the summer. This condition can be difficult to mimic in the landscape where soils are shallower so we have found that all Bristlecone Pines perform best when grown in soil amended with perlite and watered deeply every other week. When growing in containers we use pure shredded pine or fir bark as the potting medium and water each morning, the bark allows the water to drain quickly while still holding enough for the roots. Fertilize with a complete nutrient source like Osmocote Plus since there are very few minerals available in bark. Although Foxtail and Bristlecone Pines grow in very hot climates, they will typically experience extremely cold nights even during the peak of summer and so are not very tolerant of low elevations with warm nights. In high heat locations your best bet for growing these high elevation conifers is to provide afternoon shade and protection from wind, while still allowing for full sun for the first half of the day.

I'm thinking long bushy needles.