Hi bsw9. I found a source that might work for you. I have ordered from Sheffield's before and their service has been good. If you have questions about their seed you can always e-mail them.

There might be other sources but this is the first one I found.

HTH,

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Sheffield Seeds - Sugar Pine

Pinus coulteri definitely won't be winter hardy.

P. lambertiana selected from a northeastern seed origin might be winter hardy, but failure in the eastern US is more usually associated with the heat/humidity combination. At a sufficiently high altitude to escape the worst of the heat, it might just succeed.

Otherwise, give Pinus jeffreyi a try.

Resin

The other problem is time. If you're growing them from seed, then it may be a few years before you see cones.

Some people have had luck growing Pinus sabiniana, the CA Gray Pine, which depending upon the draw (there is some variation in cold hardiness) can be grown in zone 5. The cones are almost as large as those of the Coulter pine. However, you'll still have to wait a few years for the cones.

Hi Pasadena,

"can be grown in zone 5"

I've never heard of Pinus sabineana being successful colder than zone 8. With luck, carefully selected origins might perhaps succeed in zone 7, but not, I reckon, in zone 5.

Resin

Appreciate the skepticism! We pretty much tried it on a bet in our yard. In the last eight winters it's survived as low as -10F without any show of stress. The hardiness maps show us in zone 5, but practically speaking our yard is zone 7.

The Lovett Pinetum has had some success with gray pines on the edge of zones 5 and 6. This is the case of finding those individuals that will survive.

Where I grew up in California with the gray pine, the historic very coldest temperatures are 0F, in other words probably zone 8 as you say.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Lovett Pinetum Charitable Foundation (see 20.

That's a heck of a microclimate...

Good for you!

Dax