• Large vigorous quick-growing evergreen tree from California, to 40m, with dark grey deeply ridged bark. It has a strong pine fragrance, and the whole tree is resinous and sticky.
• Leaves are soft dark green twisted needles, growing in groups of three. New shoots grow vertically at first ('candles').
• Pines do not flower. Rusty brown male cones cluster at the base of new shoots in spring; the females, soft and purple at first, develop into the familiar 10 - 15cm pale brown pine cones.
• Female cones produce large numbers of winged seeds.

Seeds spread some distance on the wind, and are also carried into bushland by Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.

Establishes readily, creates dense shade, depletes soil nutrients and water, changes soil chemistry, excludes native plants.

Upper Blue Mountains.

Black Cockatoo food: Hakea and Banksia species, She-oaks (Allocasuarina torulosa, A. littoralis), Black Cyprus Pine (Callitris endlicheri). Fast-growing windbreak: Leyland Cyrpess (Cupressocyparis leylandii).

If cut low to ground, herbicide is not necesary. Consent under Council's Tree Preservation Order is required to remove trees 10m or taller.