Occurring naturally on dry rocky mountain slopes in California at altitudes of 1000 - 2000 m, the coulter pine reaches a height of 10 - 25 m with a large spread. It is slow growing and requires an average annual rainfall of 500 - 750 mm. It is resistant to heat, cold and wind.
The pine cones are the largest in the genus, with a length of 25 - 35 cm and diameter of up to 15 cm. The edible seeds are also large (up to 12 mm in length). Cones are generally produced every other year, and the tree grows freely from seed.