The Pine Family of Trees in the Sierra Nevada

The Pine Family of Trees in the Sierra Nevada
by J. Zimmerman, Ph.D.

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Ecology.

What native pine trees can you find in the Sierra Nevada? Check out the data from the classic book by the Petersons.

The Pine Family of the Sierra Nevada as in the Petersons' Native Trees of the Sierra Nevada.

The Petersons report that you can see the Pine Family (Pinaceae) in the Sierra in these four genera:

• Pines (Pinus).
• False hemlock (Pseudotsuga).
• Hemlock (Tsuga).
• Firs (Abies).

Also see National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees: Western Region by Elbert L. Little. (Great photos of leaf, flower, and fruit, plus informative text guide you through over 300 native tree species west of the Rocky Mountains.)

Pines (Pinus).

Pines have needle-like sets of leaves bound in a thin sheath. These species are in the Sierra:

• Single-needle pine: One-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla).
• Two-needle pine: Lodgepole Pine (P. contorta).
• Three-needle pines:
  • Gray (or "foothill" or "Digger") Pine (P. sabiniana).
  • Jeffrey Pine (P. jeffreyi).
  • Knobcone Pine (P. attenuata).
  • Ponderosa Pine (P. ponderosa).
  • Washoe Pine (P. washoensis). Rare.
• Five-needle pines:
  • Foxtail Pine (P. balfouriana).
  • (Great Basin) Bristlecone Pine (P. longaeva).
  • Limber Pine (P. flexilis).
  • Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana).
  • Western White Pine (P. monticola).
  • Whitebark Pine (P. albicaulis).

False hemlock (Pseudotsuga).

The only native false hemlock found in the Sierra Nevada is the Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).

Hemlock (Tsuga).

The only native hemlock found in the Sierra Nevada is the Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana).

Firs (Abies).

You find only two native firs in the Sierra Nevada:

• White Fir (Abies concolor).
• Red Fir (Abies magnifica).

For More Information.

Resources - Book.

• Native Trees of the Sierra Nevada (clothbound) by P. Victor Peterson and P. Victor Peterson, Jr., University of California Press.
• Paperbound version of Native Trees of the Sierra Nevada.

Resources - Related pages.

• Introduction to The Families of Trees in the Sierra Nevada.
• The Broadleaf Families of Trees in the Sierra Nevada.
• Introduction to The Families of Trees in Southern California.
• Native Families of Trees in Southern California.
• Got Pine? -- Your 60-Second Guide to Naming your Pine.
• Oak trees of California.
• Categorized List of Our Articles.

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Copyright © 2001-2006 by J. Zimmerman.