A characteristic of the species is the occurrence of epicormic shoots with single (not in threes) glaucous (bluish-green) juvenile leaves growing from the lower trunk, but in its natural area this only occurs as a consequence of fire or other damage.

[6] The species is native and endemic to the outer Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, El Hierro and La Palma).

Within its natural area, it grows under extremely variable rainfall regimes, from less than 300 millimetres (12 in) to several thousands, mostly due to differences in mist-capturing by the foliage.

The native range has been somewhat reduced due to over-cutting so that only the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, and Gran Canaria still have large forests, with extensive replanting of deforested areas since 1940.

[9] Fossil cones including seeds of Pinus canariensis are known from the late Miocene of Abkhazia, from the Vienna Basin and the Canary Islands.

[14] The tree's long needles make a significant contribution to the islands' water supply, trapping large amounts of cloud droplets as fog drip.