Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-11. Grow in moist well-drained loams in full sun. Established trees have respectable drought tolerance. Trees are generally tolerant of a wide range of soils, including both sandy and clay loams. Avoid poorly-drained soils. Also avoid shady conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Pinus montezumae, commonly called Montezuma pine, is a tall, erect, long-lived, single-trunk, evergreen conifer that is native from central mountain areas in Mexico (6,000 to 10,000 feet) to Guatemala. It is conic in shape when young, but acquires a rounded crown with spreading lower branches with age. This tree typically matures in its native habitat to 70-100' tall. Bluish-green needles (to 7-12" long), most frequently in fascicles of five, spread outward or droop. Needles appear in dense showy whorls at the branch tips. Large, stalked, egg-shaped to cylindrical, light brown cones (to 2-8" long) take two years to develop. Each cone scale has a small spine. Mature bark is deeply fissured, hence the sometimes used common name of rough-barked Mexican pine for this species. This tree grows well in parts of California, but is otherwise infrequently planted in other parts of the U.S.
Genus name comes from the Latin name for pines.
Specific epithet and common name honor Montezuma II (1480-1520), the last emperor of the Aztecs.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
A large tree for a large space.