Yosemite's Trees

Yosemite's Trees
Notes by Joan Zimmerman, Ph.D.

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What trees can you find in Yosemite? They were reported by John Muir, and then in a classic book by Mary Curry Tresidder. Here's a handy summary.

Trees of the Yosemite.

Much of the following comes from a classic book, first published in 1932, revised edition in 1948: Mary Curry Tresidder's book with 34 block prints by Della Taylot Hoss. It is a compact and useful guide, containing:

1. The classification of trees.
2. Life zones found in Yosemite.
3. The Conifers of Yosemite.
4. Broadleaf trees of Yosemite.

Coniferous Trees of Yosemite.

You can see these families of coniferous trees in Yosemite:

1. Cypress Family (Cupressacea).
   • Incense Cedar (Librocedrus decurrens).
   • Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis).

2. Pine Family (Pinaceae).
   The Pine genus (Pinus):
   • Gray Pine (also called "foothill" or "Digger" Pine; Tresidder uses the latter name) (P. sabiniana).
   • Jeffrey Pine (P. jeffreyi).
   • Lodgepole Pine (P. contorta).
   • Ponderosa Pine (also called Western Yellow Pine) (P. ponderosa).
   • Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana).
   • Western White Pine (P. monticola).
   • White-bark Pine (P. albicaulis).
   
   The Hemlock genus (Tsuga):
   • Mountain Hemlock (T. mertensiana).
   
   The False Hemlock genus (Pseudotsuga):
   • Douglas Fir (P. menziesii).
   
   The Fir genus (Abies):
   • California Red Fir (Tresidder calls this Red Fir) (A. magnifica).
   • White Fir (A. concolor).

3. Redwood Family (Taxodiaceae).
   • Giant Sequoia (Sequoia gigantea).

4. Yew Family (Taxaceae).
   • California Nutmeg (also called California torreya) (Torreya californica).

Broadleaf Trees of Yosemite.

You can see these families of broadleaf trees in Yosemite:

1. Birch Family (Betulaceae).
   The Alder genus (Alnus):
   • White Alder (A. rhombifolia).

2. Dogwood Family (Cornaceae).
   The Dogwood genus (Cornus)
   • Pacific Dogwood (also called "Mountain", Western, or Nuttall; Tresidder calls it the latter) (C. nuttallii).

3. Laurel Family (Lauraceae).
   
   • California Laurel (also called California Bay, Bay Laurel, Pepperwood, or Oregon Myrtle) (Umbellularia californica).

4. Maple Family (Aceraceae).
   The Maple genus (Acer).
   • Big Leaf Maple (A. macrophyllum).

5. Oak Family (Aceraceae).
   The Oak genus (Quercus):
   • California Black Oak (Q. kelloggii) -- deciduous.
   • Canyon Live Oak (Q. chrysolepis) -- evergreen.

6. Willow Family (Salicaceae).
   The Poplar genus (Populus):
   • Black Cottonwood (P. trichocarpa).
   • Quaking Aspen (P. tremuloides).
   The Willow genus (Salix):
   • Pacific Willow (Tresidder calls it Yellow or Sword-leaf Willow) (S. lasiandra).

Related Books.

• Sierra Nevada Tree Identifier by Jim Paruk. Published by The Yosemite Association. An excellent guide book to all tree species in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Highly recommended to the amateur and the professional.
• An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park by Stephen J. Botti, Walter Sydoriak.
• The Trees of Yosemite by Mary Curry Tresidder, with 34 block prints by Della Taylot Hoss. [Out-of-print, but libraries have it.]
• The Ecology of Fire by Robert J. Whelan.
• Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests: A Photographic Interpretation of Ecological Change Since 1849 by George E. Gruell.
• The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter by Colin Tudge.

Related pages.

• Home and List of Articles.
• Flowers near Vernal and Nevada Falls (Yosemite).
• John Muir on the Trees of Yosemite: Part 1.
• John Muir on the Trees of Yosemite: Part 2.
• Yosemite's Trees.
• Got Conifer - How You Can Tell What Kind of Conifer You Have..
• Trees of the Sierra Nevada.
• Trees of Southern California.

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Copyright © 2001-2006 by Joan Zimmerman.