The seeds do not need stratification, they will germinate fine. Getting them to survive and flourish after they germinate will be your problem. They are difficult to grow, at least for me. I've grown Pinus aristata and Pinus longaeva from seed but they don't do well where I live in Western North Carolina, I think it's because of our hot and very humid summers. And they are definitely shade intolerant, give them as much sun as possible.

I just purchased some seed from Sheffield's and I'm going to try some different soil types with varying amounts of dolomite, as well as different water schedules . . . . . I haven't given up yet.

Good luck with yours, if you've seen the Great Basin Bristlecones growing in the White Mountains of California, you know that it's worth the effort to attempt to grow them. If I could have any pine in the world and have it look like it does in it's native habitat, it would be Pinus longaeva, with the possible exception of Pinus culminicola.

If you live where there is low humidity and don't over water them, you may be successful. And if you're not, you might do like I have and get a Pinus parviflora "Aoi", I believe it is actuallly Pinus pentaphylla and it's needles and branching habit remind me a lot of Pinus longaeva. With some training you can make it look similar to the young Bristlecones growing in the White Mountains, and a lot faster than it would take a real one to grow.

Compare Pinus longaeva "Sherwood Compact" and "Joe Bess" (link) to my Pinus parviflora "Aoi" (pictures below).

Pinus longaeva cultivars

A lot of information that might be of help to you is here . . . . .

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

@lostpinejim

Thanks for the information! I live in Utah in the salt lake valley, so the climate here is pretty similar to the Bristlecones native habitat, minus the summer heat. Although I hear they don't mind dry heat that much. I haven't been to the white mountains, but I have been to a few groves of Pinus longaeva in Utah and in Great Basin National Park. They really are spectacular! Have you tried Pinus balfouriana? It grows in the north west corner of California in the Klamath mountains. The Klammath mountains get more coastal humidity, and are thus probably more comparable to western North Carolina than the white mountains are. I'll try adding some dolomite and hopefully all goes well!

I've got seeds of the southern population of Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana ssp. austrina) that I collected in the Onion Valley, Eastern Sierra Nevada, Inyo County, California pictured below. I will be trying to grow those this spring.

I think that you will probably be successful with Pinus longaeva considering where you live . . . . . the Salt Lake Valley is a beautiful place. Good luck and don't give up if the first attempt fails.