Arizona Longleaf Pine

The Pinus Engelmannii is commonly known as Apache Pine, Arizona Longleaf Pine, as well as Pino Real

< Go Back

Growing Regions

Apache pine has a very limited distribution in the United States. It occurs in the Chiricahua, Huachuca, Dragoon, and Santa Rita mountains of Arizona and in one area of extreme southwestern New Mexico [13,18,34, 42,61]. The main part of its range is in Mexico. Apache pine occurs commonly in the Sierra Madre Occidental, extending southward from the United States border to Zacatecas [14,28,44,45].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of Apache pine is Pinus engelmannii Carr. It is a member of the pine family (Pinaceae) [14,30,61,62]. In addition to the typical variety, there is one recognized variety in Mexico, P. e. var. blancoi Mart. [7,45,62]. Where their ranges overlap, interspecific hybrids occur between Apache pine, interior ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa var. scopulorum), and Arizona pine (P. p. var. arizonica) [12,43,44,49].

Apache pine primarily occurs in Madrean pine-oak and oak-pine forests
and woodlands.  Codominant and subdominant species that occur with
Apache pine in these communities are Chihuahua pine (Pinus leiophylla
var.  chihuahuana), Mexican pinyon (P. cembroides), and alligator
juniper (Juniperus deppeana); the understories are predominatly oak
(Quercus spp.) [1,7,11,21,22,35].  The communities may extend upward
into the mixed pine forests [9].

Apache pine forms open stands and is widely scattered in mixed pine
forests with Arizona pine, Chihuahua pine, and southwestern white pine
(P. strobiformis) [2,15,29].

Apache pine is the principal species in the Apache pine series
[1,6,20,39,40].

Scattered Apache pine occur in riparian habitats.  Along streamsides,
Apache pine is a minor species in some stands of Chihuahua pine/pinyon
ricegrass (Piptochaetium fimbriatum) habitat types and is codominant in
Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) types [15,39,41,48].  It is a
minor species in the Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii) series and
community types [39,56].

Apache pine is listed as a dominant or indicator species in the
following publications:

(1)  Classification of the forest vegetation on the National Forests of
       Arizona and New Mexico [1]
(2)  Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of Arizona
       south of the Mogollon Rim and southwestern New Mexico [6]
(3)  A digitized computer-compatible classification for natural and
       potential vegetation in the Southwest with particular reference to
       Arizona [11]
(4)  A series vegetation classification for Region 3 [39]
(5)  A forest habitat type classification of southern Arizona and its
       relationship to forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico [40].

Species associated with Apache pine but not previously mentioned in
Occurrence and Distribution include Arizona madrone (Arbutus arizonica),
Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa), western white honeysuckle (Lonicera
albiflora), and slimflower scurfpea (Psoralea tenuiflora) [16,48].

• More Arizona Longleaf Pine Information

< Go Back