What zone is sugar pine?
They grow best within U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 to 10, where they will reach a mature height of 165 to 200 feet if grown under ideal conditions.
Where do sugar pine trees grow?
Sugar pines grow along the west slope of the Cascade Mountains from the north-central Cascades of Oregon, south through the Siskiyou, Klamath, and Sierra Nevada mountains, to an isolated population in the mountains of Baja California Norte, Mexico.
How big do sugar pine cones get?
20 inches
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 (50 cm.) long, with straight, thick scales.
Is a sugar pine a evergreen?
The tallest and largest pine tree, Pinus lambertiana (Sugar Pine) is an evergreen coniferous tree of narrow pyramidal habit in youth with a straight trunk free of branches much of its length and rather spreading and pendulous branches. Similarly to pine nuts, the seeds are edible.
Is sugar pine native to California?
The sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) is native to the mountains of the far west from the Cascades of central Oregon to the north and south to Baja California, Mexico. They are most abundant in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California.
How long do sugar pine trees live?
400 to 500 years
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : Sugar pines may live 400 to 500 years and are second only to giant sequoia (Sequoia gigantea) in total volume.
How long does it take a sugar pine cone to grow?
From the time young cones appear on the tree, it takes nearly three years for them to mature. The spores of a pine tree are located on scalelike features (sporophylls) that are densely packed in structures called cones.
What time of year do sugar pine cones drop?
autumn
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 does a sugar pine smell like?
It may smell like butterscotch or vanilla. The next person who smells it may insist it’s more like cinnamon, or even coconut. Scientists don’t know why a closely sniffed Ponderosa smells like baking cookies. The aroma may arise from a chemical in the sap being warmed by the sun.
Why are they called sugar pines?
Naturalist John Muir considered sugar pine to be the “king of the conifers”. The common name comes from the sweet resin, which Native Americans used as a sweetener. John Muir found it preferable to maple sugar. It is also known as the great sugar pine.
How tall do sugar pines grow?
175 to 200 ft
Called “the most princely of the genus” by its discoverer, David Douglas, sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) is the tallest and largest of all pines, commonly reaching heights of 53 to 61 m (175 to 200 ft) and d.b.h. of 91 to 152 cm (36 to 60 in).
What animals eat sugar pine?
Other seed predators, such as the white-headed woodpecker, Douglas squirrel, and other birds and small mammals also eat sugar pine seeds, but they also contribute to the species by disbursing seeds away from the parent tree.
What is the size of a sugar pine tree?
Description. Sugar pine is the largest species of pine, commonly growing to mature heights of 130 to 200 feet (40 – 60 meters) tall, exceptionally up to 270 feet (82 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of 6 to 10 feet (1.5 – 2.5 m), measured at breast height, exceptionally to 14 feet (3.5 meters).
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 average size of a pine cone?
They measure 2 to 4 inches (6–11 cm) long. Sugar pine is notable for having the longest seed cones of any conifer, mostly 10 to 20 inches (25–50 cm) long, exceptionally up to 26 inches (66 cm) long, although it should be noted that the cones of the Coulter pine ( Pinus coulteri) are more massive.
Are sugar pine trees shade tolerant?
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.