  pinus canariensis, the canary island pine, is a species in the genus pinus, family pinaceae, native and endemic to the outer canary islands (gran canaria, tenerife, hierro and la palma) in the atlantic ocean. it is a subtropical pine and does not tolerate low temperatures or hard frost, surviving temperatures down to about &minus;6 to &minus;10 Â°c. within its natural area, it grows under extremely variable rainfall regimes, from less than 300&nbsp;mm to several thousands, mostly due to differences in mist-capturing by the foliage. under warm conditions, this is one of the most drought-tolerant pines, living even with less than 200&nbsp;mm per year. ==distribution== the native range has been somewhat reduced due to over-cutting so that only the islands of tenerife, la palma and gran canaria still have large forests. really big trees are still rare due to past over-cutting. it is the tallest tree in the canary islands. thumb|left|p. canariensis in natural habitat on canary islands ==description== pinus canariensis is a large evergreen tree, growing to 30â40 m tall and 100â120&nbsp;cm trunk diameter (dbh), exceptionally up to 60&nbsp;m tall and 265&nbsp;cm diameter. the green to yellow-green leaves are needle-like, in bundles of three, 20â30&nbsp;cm long, with finely toothed margins and often drooping. a characteristic of the species is the occurrence of glaucous (bluish-green) epicormic shoots growing from the lower trunk, but in its natural area this only occurs as a consequence of fire or other damage. in fact, this pine is one of the most fire-resistant conifers in the world. the cones are 10â18&nbsp;cm long, 5&nbsp;cm wide, glossy chestnut-brown in colour and frequently remaining closed for several years (serotinous cones). i
Drought-tolerant_trees Endemic_flora_of_Macaronesia Endemic_flora_of_the_Canary_Islands Garden_plants_of_Europe IUCN_Red_List_least_concern_species Least_concern_plants Ornamental_trees Pinus Trees_of_Mediterranean_climate Trees_of_mild_maritime_climate