It grows in only a few small areas of its native California but is widespread in New Zealand. It will grow on sand, withstand a certain amount of salt spray, and even several degrees of frost won't harm it. So it flourishes from coastal areas to high altitudes. It needs only 600 mm of rain a year, which means it can grow almost anywhere in New Zealand. Other pine species which create a nuisance as wilding pines include Pinus contorta and the Douglas Fir.
Pines seed very efficiently from pine cones.
The wind-blown seeds are widely distributed and need no nurturing to take root. Wilding pines are a nuisance in areas where native forest does not occur, such as above the bushline, in mineral belts and tussock grasslands. In areas such as these it creates a major intrusion and modification to natural ecosystems. In areas where native forest regrowth is being encouraged pines are visually intrusive. They compete for forest space with native trees and plants, but provide none of the advantages these offer, such as berries and nectar, to encourage bird life and insects.