Torrey Pine is the rarest native pine in the United States, existing in only two wild populations: one near La Jolla in San Diego County and one on Santa Rosa Island. Fewer than 10,000 wild trees survive. The trees have a distinctive windswept, irregular form sculpted by coastal winds and can live several hundred years. They produce some of the largest pine seeds of any North American species. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve protects the mainland population and is a beloved conservation landmark.
Habitat
Coastal sandstone bluffs and slopes in the La Jolla area of San Diego County and Santa Rosa Island, California.
Diet
Large seeds consumed by scrub-jays and small mammals; one of the rarest trees in North America.
How common
Very rare
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