It is native to coastal and inland mountain areas along the Pacific coast of North America, as far north as Oregon and as far south as Baja California in Mexico. Contents 1 Description
What is the size of a sugar pine cone?
This unusually large mature female sugar pine cone is 22.9 inches long. Sugar pines, like other pine species, produce both male and female cones. Male cones are smaller and less noticeable. The scales of male cones are closely knit together and grow on lower branches of the tree.
What are the characteristics of a sugar pine tree?
About Sugar Pine. They are most abundant in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California. The sugar pine is said to be the world’s largest pine. They grow to nearly 200 feet in height and have trunk diameters of up to 7 feet. The sugar pine produces the largest cone of any pine. The cones are typically 12 to 18 inches in length...
Where do sugar pines grow in the US?
Emblematic of the Sierra Nevada, sugar pines also grow in other parts of the West. Their range stretches from the Cascade Range in Oregon through the Klamath and Siskiyou Mountain and into Baja California. You will generally find these mighty trees growing from 2,300 to 9,200 feet (700-2805 m.) above sea level in forests of mixed conifers.
What is the largest type of pine tree with cones?
The sugar pine produces the largest cone of any pine. The cones are typically 12 to 18 inches in length but can grow to 24 inches in length. The sugar pine gets its name from the crystalline encrustations of resin that form around the edges of wounds or fire scars to a living tree.
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What tree do sugar pine cones come from?
Pinus lambertiana (commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine) is the tallest and most massive pine tree, and has the longest cones of any conifer. The species name lambertiana was given by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, who named the tree in honour of the English botanist, Aylmer Bourke Lambert.
How do I identify a sugar pine?
You can readily identify sugar pine trees by their massive trunks and large, asymmetrical branches. The branches dip slightly from the weight of huge, woody cones. The cones grow up to 20 inches (51 cm.) long, with straight, thick scales.
What does a sugar pine tree look like?
Sugar Pine – Pinus lambertiana Sugar pine is a tall tree that can grow to over 200 feet (60 meters). It is most easily recognized by its long cones. Needles: Sugar pine has 5 needles per bundle. You can distinguish it from western white pine by looking at the white coloring on the needles.
Where can pine cones be found?
Pine cones mostly fall to the ground in autumn, so can usually be found from September through to December. The best place to look for them is under conifer trees in woods, parks and gardens. Look for pine cones scattering the floor beneath conifer trees.
What is sugar pine Good For?
Native Americans used the sugar pine's large, nutritious seeds for food and its sweet sap as a treat. It was also used as a remedy to treat stomach gas, loosen the bowels, or—mixed with milk—as drops for sore eyes. The "nuts" (seeds) were used as beads in jewelry.
What's the difference between a sugar pine and a ponderosa pine?
What's the difference between a sugar pine and a ponderosa pine? The easiest way to tell the difference between a sugar pine tree and a ponderosa pine tree is by their needles. Though the needles look very similar, sugar pine needles grow in clusters of 5, whereas ponderosa pine needles grow in clusters of 3.
Are sugar pines edible?
Sugar pines typically grow between 3,000 and 7,500 feet in elevation. Sugar pine sap is sweet and edible. 3-5% of sugar pines possess major gene resistance to blister rust.
Are sugar pine cones edible?
Humans can eat seeds from particular pine cones, including Sugar Pine, Western White Pine, Longleaf Pine, Red Pine, and Pitch Pine. Species unsafe to eat include Ponderosa Pine, Yellow Pine, Lodgepole Pine, and Norfolk Island Pine. Not enough is known about these species to consider them safe for human consumption.
What is the largest pine cone in the United States?
The longest pine cone measured 58.2 cm (22.9 in) on 15 October 2002, and was collected by Steve Schwarz (USA) of Cuyhoga Falls, Ohio, USA.
What month do pine cones fall?
0:441:57When Do Pinecones Fall From the Trees? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAny time of year the ground under the pine may display green tightly closed cones as well as dreamMoreAny time of year the ground under the pine may display green tightly closed cones as well as dream shattered cones pine cones are produced annually.
Why are there so many pine cones in 2022?
Aside from weather-related stresses, botanists have speculated that heavy pinecone production may also be a defense mechanism that the tree uses to prevent insect infestations. Insects prey on the seeds dropped by trees and will “camp out” beside a dubious source of sustenance.
What tree makes the biggest pine cones?
Coulter PineThe Heavyweight: Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri) Coulter pines, native to the mountains of southern California (U.S.) and Baja California (Mexico), produce the most-massive cones of any pine species. Known colloquially as “widow-makers,” those giant pinecones can weigh up to 5 kg (11 pounds)!
How do I identify a pine tree?
0:242:47How to Identify Pine Trees - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf your tree has clusters it's a sure bet that it's a pine.MoreIf your tree has clusters it's a sure bet that it's a pine.
How many needles does a sugar pine have?
five needlesSugar Pines, the most princely of pines with enormous cones hanging at the end of its long, octopus-like branches, has five needles in a bunch. What are Sugar Pines? are also referred to as a 5 needle pines because their needles grow in bundles of 5.
What color is sugar pine wood?
light brownColor/Appearance: Heartwood is a light brown, sometimes with a slightly reddish hue. Sapwood is a pale yellow to nearly white. Flatsawn surfaces frequently exhibit small brown streaks from the conspicuous resin canals present in the tree.
Is sugar pine sap edible?
Sugar pines typically grow between 3,000 and 7,500 feet in elevation. Sugar pine sap is sweet and edible. 3-5% of sugar pines possess major gene resistance to blister rust.
Where Do Sugar Pine Grow?
If you hope to see a sugar pine, you may ask “Where do sugar pine grow?” Emblematic of the Sierra Nevada, sugar pines also grow in other parts of the West. Their range stretches from the Cascade Range in Oregon through the Klamath and Siskiyou Mountain and into Baja California.
How long are sugar pine needles?
Sugar pines bear three-sided needles, about 2 inches (5 cm .) long, in clusters of five. Each side of each needle is marked by a white line. The pine tree seedlings grow deep taproots at a young age. Their early growth is slow, but it becomes more rapid as the tree gets older.
What animals build nests in sugar pine trees?
As the trees grow taller, birds and squirrels build nests in them, and tree cavities are occupied by woodpeckers and owls. Lumbermen also prize the sugar pine tree. They admire its wood, which is light-weight but stable and workable.
How tall is a sugar pine tree?
Sugar pines are the tallest and biggest of the pine tree clan, second only to the giant sequoia in sheer bulk. These pine trees can grow to 200 feet (60 m.) tall with a trunk diameter of 5 feet (1.5 m.), and live past 500 years. Sugar pines bear three-sided needles, about 2 inches (5 cm.) long, in clusters of five.
How high do conifers grow?
You will generally find these mighty trees growing from 2,300 to 9,200 feet (700-2805 m.) above sea level in forests of mixed conifers.
Is sugar pine wood good?
Yet, facts about sugar pine trees ( Pinus lambertiana) make clear their status as important and noble trees. And sugar pine wood – even-grained and satin-textured – is considered as good at it gets in terms of quality and value. Read on for more sugar pine tree information.
Do sugar pine trees need shade?
Sugar pine trees support some shade when they are young, but become less shade tolerant as they age. Trees that grow in stands with taller specimens decline over time. Wildlife appreciate sugar pines when the trees are young, and even larger mammals use dense stands of seedlings as cover.
How long are sugar pine needles?
The needles are 3 to 5 inches long and are a dark bluish green. The Sunset New Western Garden Book lists the sugar pine as “hardy but temperamental” with regards to climate adaptability.
How did sugar pine get its name?
The sugar pine gets its name from the crystalline encrustations of resin that form around the edges of wounds or fire scars to a living tree. Fluid exudation from a wound to the living sugar pine hardens into white nodules that Indians and settlers learned to chew like gum. The nodules are said to be sweet with a pine sugar.
What is the largest pine in the world?
The sugar pine is said to be the world’s largest pine. They grow to nearly 200 feet in height and have trunk diameters of up to 7 feet. The sugar pine produces the largest cone of any pine.