Afghan Pine Trees. Pinus eldarica, Pine Family: ( Pinaceae ), Afghan Pine Tree. Also Called: Pinus brutia subsp. eldarica, Eldarica Pine, Desert Pine, Mondell Pine, or Elder Pine. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Eldarica pine is fast growing and does fairly well the first 5 to 10 years in any soil that is well drained. Is drought tolerant, in fact, it is totally intolerant of rainfall above 20 inches a year or regular irrigation from an irrigation system. It responds well to fertilizer but too much can contribute to the root disease problems. Commonly sold as a living Christmas tree. Loses lots of needles, high maintance tree. We do not recommend this tree. Root diseases start to hit and take the tree out rather quickly once the soil pathogens start to attack the root system. Usually after 10 years of growth. For example all the Afghan Pines in Texas are now dying, probably from the spread of the fungal disease Diplodia pinea. (USDA Forest Disease Leaflet 161) Quick Notes: Height: 30 - 50 feet in height and spread of 15 - 25 feet at maturity. Trunk: 12 to 24 inches in diameter. Bark: Silvery gray and shiny when young; becoming reddish brown; fissured and scaly on older trunks. Flowers: Inconspicuous flowers. Cones: Cones with true cone shape, 2 to 3 1/8 inches long. Blooming Time: Mid March - May. Leaves: Needles, 4 to 6 inches long, sheath of 2, rarely 3, longer than P. halepensis and shorter than P. canarensis. Found: Native of Russia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Elevation: 0 to 5,000 feet. Hardiness: We have read reports of these trees living in Holbrook, Arizona in Zone 5b. USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 �C (-10 �F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 �C (-5 �F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Habitat: Desert canyons and cliffs on rocky limestone soils. It needs good drainage and aeration. A sunny, warm, and well drained position. Drought, tolerant. Also used for xeriscape landscaping in lower elevations in the Phoenix and Tucson areas of Arizona. Miscellaneous: Photos Taken February 23, 2006. Arrowhead Ranch, Glendale, Arizona. A low water use landscaping plant in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Loses lots of needles, high maintance tree.

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