Conifers of California
List of 55 Target Species October 21, 2018

This list will be updated with dates throughout the year.  

Pine Family (Pinaceae) - 33 Species
   Pines (Pinus) -19 Species
      Bishop Pine (Pinus muricata)
    Coulter Pine (Pinus coulteri) 11-10-2018
    Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana)
      Gray Pine (Pinus sabinana)
    Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva)
    Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) 10-6-2018
    Knobcone Pine (Pinus attenuata)
    Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis)
    Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) 10-6-2018
    Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) 10-8-2018
    Parry Pinyon Pine (Pinus X quadrifolia)
    Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)
    Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana)
    Sierra Juarez Pinyon Pine (Pinus juarezensis)
    Single-leaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla) 1-5-2019
    Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) 12-15-2018
    Washoe Pine (Pinus washoensis)
    Western White Pine (Pinus monticola)
    Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis)
   
   Firs (Abies) - 7 Species
      Grand Fir (Abies grandis)
    Noble Fir (Abies procera)
    Pacific Silver Fir (Abies amabilis)
    Red Fir (Abies magnifica)
    Santa Lucia Fir (Abies bracteata)
    Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
    White Fir (Abies concolor) 10-6-2018
   
   Spruces (Picea) - 3 Species
      Brewer Spruce (Picea breweriana)
    Engelmann Spruce (Picea enelmannii)
    Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
   
   Hemlocks (Tsuga) - 2 Species
      Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
    Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
   
   Douglas Firs (Pseudotsuga) - 2 Species
      Bigcone Spruce (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa)
    Douglas Fir (Pseudostuga menziesii)

Cypress Family
(Cupressaceae) - 18 Species
   Cypresses (Cupressus) - 10 Species
      Baker Cypress (Cupressus bakeri)
    Cuyamaca Cypress (Cupressus stephensonii)
    Gowen Cypress (Cupressus goveniana)
    McNab Cypress (Cupressus macnabiana)
    Mendocino Cypress (Cupressus pigmaea)
    Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa)
    Piute Cypress (Cupressus nevadensis)
    Santa Cruz Cypress (Cupressus abramsiana)
    Sargent Cypress (Cupressus sargentii)
    Tecate Cypress (Cupressus forbesii)
   
   False Cypresses (Chamaecyparis) - 2 Species
      Alaska Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)
    Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
   
   Incense Cedar (Calocedrus) - 1 Species
      Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) 10-6-2018

   Arborvitaes (Thuja) - 1 Species
      Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

   Junipers (Juniperus) - 4 Species
      California Juniper (Juniperus californica) 1-5-2019
    Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)
    Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
    Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma)

Bald Cypress Family
(Taxodiaceae) - 2 Species
   Redwood (Sequoia) - 1 Species
      Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

   Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron) - 1 Species
      Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)

Yew Family (Taxaceae) - 2 Species
   Yews (Taxus) - 1 Species
      Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia)

   Nutmeg (Torreya) - 1 Species
      California Nutmeg (Torreya californica)

Fiscalini Ranch Preserve 
Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, California
October 9, 2018

I've been working near the central coast town of Cambria in San Luis Obispo County lately and had some unexpected free time so I decided to go look for Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). I knew that the southernmost native stands of Monterey pine where located in Cambria but wasn't quite sure where to best see them. After a quick internet search I found the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, a 437-acre open space preserve which encompasses a variety of habitats including riparian, tidal, coastal prairie, freshwater marsh, coastal scrub, and Monterey pine forest. I chose to hike the 1.2-mile Forest Loop trail because my time was limited and it sounded like the most likely place to see Monterey pine. Based on the trail map I picked up at the trailhead off of Tipton Street, it looks like there are about 70 acres of Monterey pine forest in the preserve. As soon as I entered the preserve I was surrounded by Monterey pine. It was birdy too with California towhees, Steller's jay, and Nuttall's woodpecker present as well as a large flock of colorful Townsend's warblers chattering as they hop-scotched from tree to tree.  

The Forest Loop trail
was a pleasure to hike. 

The hike was quick and fun. The Friends of Fiscalini Ranch Preserve have done a great job maintaining the trails and doing Monterey pine forest restoration. It was early, foggy, and drizzly, which might be the best way to experience Monterey pine but resulted in bad lighting in photos. I didn't quite get the picture I wanted, I'll have to add some better photos when I get a chance.

Pine forest restoration work on the preserve.  

5. Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata)
Monterey pine has bright green needles in bundles of three. Needles are relatively long, up to 6 inches long. Cones are medium sized, up to 10 inches in length, and not prickly. The cones are persistent on the tree, which is distinctive. The bark is grey-brown and somewhat furrowed. Monterey pines that grow in open canopy stands tend to have thicker trunks and a rounded full crown. Within closed canopy stands they have a short crown atop a long unbranched trunk. From a distance, the closed canopy stand trees have a wise and distinctive gangly look. 

Monterey pine has bright green needles in bundles
of three and persistent cones that are not prickly.

The gray-brown furrowed bark of mature 
closed canopy stand Monterey pine. 

Noticeably green needles and persistent cones are
distinctive of Monterey pine.

Silhouette of unbranched trees with short crowns
within a closed canopy Monterey pine stand. 

     

Silhouette of branched full canopy of
open canopy Monterey pine. 

Siberia Creek Trail, San Bernardino National Forest. October 6, 2018

Today I started the big year with a trip to Siberia Creek Trail near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest. My girlfriend Rebecca and I came up for the day and planned to find a sunny spot to take the day in. She meditated and napped on sun-warmed granite while I walked around and took the area in. At 7,600-feet in elevation, I know Siberia Creek and the adjacent Bluff Lake Preserve as a reliable place to see montane birds such as golden-crowned kinglet, Townsend's solitaire, and Williamson's sapsucker. The meadows in the area are some of Southern California's nicest, and the area is home to several rare plant species. Turns out there is also an abundance of lodgepole pine, white fir, and Jeffrey pine, and we even ran into a small stand of giant sequoia planted near Bluff Lake. Then on the way back to Big Bear Lake we ran into incense cedar along Forest Road 2N10. 

Beautiful Bluff Lake Preserve is managed by The Wildlands Conservancy.

The Siberia Creek Trail area is also home to California's champion lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), which I have visited during each of my previous visits. According to the sign in front of the champ, the tree is 440 years old, 110 feet in height, and 75 inches diameter at breast height. The massive trunk of the tree is amazing to stand next to. The overall bell-shape of the crown is what I remember most.

A sapling lodgepole standing in front of the bell-shaped champ.

1. Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)

Mature bark of lodgepole pine. 

I really like the needles on this tree. Needles are in bundles of two. The needles are short and up to 2 inches in length. The cones are small; prickly to the touch due to small, sharp seed cone scale tips; up to 2 inches in height; and have a twisted base. The bark is gray-brown, thin, and somewhat scaly. At a distance mature trees have a distinct look with branches arranged in layers throughout the crown giving it what I am referring to as an overall bell shape. 

Needles and cones of lodgepole pine. 

Lodgepole pine has short needles in bundles of two.

Mature lodgepole pine from a distance.