The Pine Families of Trees in Southern California

The Pine Family of Trees in Southern California
by Joan Zimmerman, Ph.D.

What native pine trees can you find in Southern California, from San Diego and Imperial counties in the south up to Monterey, Kern, and Inyo counties?

Trees and Shrubs of California by John Stuart and John Sawyer. California's native tree species and most of its common shrub species in one accessible field guide. Over 100 line drawings, 300 range maps, and 40 color photographs.

Remarkable Trees of the World by Thomas Pakenham. Great treasury of 60 trees of unusually strong personality. Photographed in North America, Mexico, Europe, Japan, other parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

	Deforesting the Earth: From Prehistory to Global Crisis by Michael Williams.
Books read.	Current hot books on trees and forests.
Ecology. Evolution notes.	Trees of North American. Trees of the American Pacific Northwest.
Forest and Tree Home,	Glossary pages: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

The Pine Family of Southern California as in Peterson's Native Trees of Southern California.

Peterson reports that you can see the Pine Family (Pinaceae) in Southern California in these genera:

• Pines (Pinus).
• False hemlock (Pseudotsuga).
• 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 Southern California:

• Single-needle pine: One-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla).
• Two-needle pines:
  • Lodgepole Pine (P. contorta).
  • Bishop Pine (P. muricata).
  • Santa Cruz Island Pine (P. remorata).
  • Nut Pine (P. edulis).
• Three-needle pines:
  • Coulter Pine (P. coulteri).
  • Gray Pine (also called "foothill" or "Digger" Pine) (P. sabiniana).
  • Jeffrey Pine (P. jeffreyi).
  • Knobcone Pine (P. attenuata).
  • Monterey Pine (P. radiata).
  • Ponderosa Pine (also called Western Yellow Pine) (P. ponderosa).
• Four-needle pines:
  • Parry Pine (also called parry pinyon or nut pine) (P. quadrifolia).
• Five-needle pines:
  • (Great Basin) Bristlecone Pine (P. longaeva).
  • Limber Pine (P. flexilis).
  • Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana).
  • Torrey Pine (P. torreyana).

False hemlock (Pseudotsuga).

These native false hemlock are found in Southern California:

• Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii).
• Big Cone Spruce (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa).

Firs (Abies).

You find only two native firs in Southern California:

• White Fir (Abies concolor).
• Santa Lucia Fir (Abies bracteata).

For More Information.

Resources - Book.

• Native Trees of Southern California by P. Victor Peterson, University of California Press. Peterson's book gives details on how to recognize all trees of Southern California.
• Trees and Shrubs of California by John Stuart and John Sawyer.

Resources - Related pages.

• Articles - Our Index.
• South California: Broadleaf trees, Families of Native Trees.
• Sierra Nevada: Families of Native Trees.
• Pines: Introducing Pines, How to Names Pines.
• Got Conifer - How You Can Tell What Kind of Conifer You Have.
• Oak trees of California.

Forest and Tree Home, Glossary pages: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

[Thanks for visiting.]

Copyright © 2001-2006 by Joan Zimmerman.