Abies bracteata, the Santa Lucia fir or bristlecone fir, is the rarest fir in North America,[3] and according to some, the world.[4][5] It is confined to steep-sided slopes and the bottoms of rocky canyons in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in the Big Sur region on the central coast of California, United States.
The species may have had a broader range in the Ice Age era, rendering it a possible paleoendemic, although some scientists say no fossil evidence of the tree has been conclusively identified.[5][3] The tree is now confined, possibly due to long-term climatic changes, to a few, small locales that mimic those of the distant past.
The fir tends to be concentrated in steep, rocky, fire-resistant spots at elevations from 2,000 to 5,000 feet (610 to 1,520 m). Due to the tree's thin bark, it is susceptible to fire, and large stands are always located near high cliffs or in steep, rugged canyons that prevent litter accumulation under the tree canopy and limit the strength of fires.[5]
The fir currently grows in a few scattered areas within the Santa Lucia Mountains along the Pacific Slope of California. Four concentrations are found in the vicinity of the Ventana Double Cone and Kandlbinder Peaks, Junipero Serra Peak, Cone Peak, and on the Monterey / San Luis Obispo County line, along San Carpóforo Creek within the Hearst Ranch.[6] The most inland stand, 13 miles (21 km) from the Pacific Coast, was found in Anastasia Canyon in the vicinity of the Arroyo Seco River and Tassajara Hot Springs.[3]
Most stands are found on north- and northeast-facing slopes. Trees are rarely found under 1,700 feet (520 m) elevation. When found at lower elevations, they are always located at the bottom of a large canyon, where cold air drainage enables it to thrive. The lowest stand is found at an elevation of 600 to 900 feet (180 to 270 m) near Ventana Camp on the Big Sur River. This camp is at the bottom of a 300-foot (91 m)-deep canyon, in the redwood belt, and is frequently foggy.[5]
The northernmost tree was located in 1927 at 750 feet (230 m) elevation on Skinners Ridge to the east of the North Fork of the Little Sur River, but it's not known if it survived subsequent fires.[5]