Since the topic came up in this thread, I thought I'd start a discussion. GRIN suggests Pinus longaeva, but I note a few other places suggest the alternate. Has this been "settled" taxonomically yet?
Pinus longaeva, definitely. It is both genetically and morphologically closer to P. balfouriana than to P. aristata, but is distinct from both.
It doesn't look the same! Crown structure, foliage character, needle anatomy, and cones all differ conspicuously. PS my experience: I've studied all of them (P. aristata, P. longaeva, and both subspecies of P. balfouriana) in the wild ;-)
Not questioning your experience at all. We all know you. Well then...with your a fore mentioned experience you should be able to give us a correct name for this cultivar. What is it if not Pinus aristata var. longaeva 'Sherwood Compact'?
Don't know for certain yet, the photos posted on the other thread are too small to tell for certain whether it is a cultivar of P. aristata or of P. longaeva. If anyone can post some clearer large pics, it should be easy enough to tell.
So then to be correct the name tag should read: Pinus lonaeva 'Sherwood Compact'. In the states it's known strictly as Pinus aristrata 'Sherwood Compact. I will wait for further discussion to really nail this down. Dave
