National Collection Spotlight: Bristlecone Fir

Male cones of Abies bracteata in early spring--set amongst the stiff needles of last year's growth Photo Credit: James Gaither © 2011

Bristlecone fir (Abies bracteata) is an evergreen coniferous tree native to California’s Santa Lucia Mountains. The common name arises from the species’ unique cones, which are long, rounded, and covered in yellow-brown bristles. Back as early as the 1840s, botanists of California tried – to no avail – to collect seed from this imperiled species. It was not until 2017 that a team from California Botanic Garden, led by Cheryl Birker, accomplished the first successful seed collection of Bristlecone fir.

Abies bracteata is held in the CPC National Collection at California Botanic Garden and in UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Critical work for the species’ conservation is being conducted at these institutions in the form of propagation research, seed collection, seed banking, and living collection curation.

Learn more about conservation actions taken for Bristlecone fir on its National Collection Plant Profile, and help support its conservation with a Plant Sponsorship.