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Home > Pine > Coulter Pine

Coulter Pine

The Coulter pine is an evergreen coniferous tree native to coastal mountains of southern California and northern Baja California. Named after an Irish botanist and physician Thomas Coulter, this species is also found nearby Diamond Mines Regional Preserve located in the north of Mount Diablo State Park. Jeffery pine tree is closely related with Coulter pine and they commonly share their habitat with Ponderosa pine.

Coulter Pines

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Plantae
DivisionPinophyta
ClassPinopsida
OrderPinales
GenusPinus
Subgenus Pinus
Scientific NamePinus coulteri

Coulter Pine

Coulter Pine Tree

Quick Information

Other Names Big-Cone Pine, Nut Pine, California Coulter Pine, Pitch Pine
Identification

Size – 33 to 79 ft (10-24 m)

Trunk Diameter: 3.3ft (1m)

Leaves (Needles): Glaucous grayish green needle-like leaves arranged in bundles of three, 15-30 cm (5.9-11.8 inch)long and stout, 2 mm (0.079 inches) thick

Cones: Large spiny cones, 20-40 cm (7.9-15.7 inch)long and weighs 2-5 kg (4.4-11.0 lbs)

Seeds: Large brown seeds, 8 inches diameter

Bark: Dark gray to black, deeply rugged with scaly ridges

Distribution/ RangeFrom Contra county in California, going southwards through the Coastal, Transverse and Peninsular ranges up to the Mexican border
HabitatFound at elevations of 500-7000 feet on steep south facing slopes
HardinessUp to 8
Growth RateRapid, can grow up to 10 feet per year
LifespanLong life (about 100 years)
Growing Conditions

Summer Conditions: Dry with occasional thunderstorms

Winter Conditions: Infrequent rainfall

Rainfall: Requires 35-60 inches of rainfall annually

Sunlight: Tolerant to full sun

Soil: Well-drained acidic soil with moisture requirements varying between moist and dry. Medium texture, gravelly or loamy

Disease & PestsDiseases – Root rot, dieback, blister rust, blight, canker

Pests – Pinewood nematode, scale, pine needle miner, pine weevil, bark beetles

Breeding SystemMonoecious
Seed DevelopmentSeedling development is best in mineral soil in open areas
Seed Production

Pollination: May and June

Cone Ripening: August and September in the second year after pollination

Maturity: Slowly over several years

Seed Dispersal: October through November

Wildlife valueWhite-headed female woodpeckers of the southern race feed on insects on the tree’s lower trunk while males widely feed on cones; western gray squirrels use its seed as a source of food; black-tailed deer sometimes graze the young trees
UsesFuelwood, also as an ornamental tree for decoration
IUCN Conservation StatusNear Threatened

Coulter Pine Bark

Coulter Pine Pictures

Interesting Facts

  • Coulter pine’s cone is the largest and heaviest pine cone in the world that can weigh up to 10 pounds or more.
  • The pine cones killed old time loggers if it fell on their head and hence the loggers nicknamed the cone as “Widow Maker”.

Coulter Pine Cones

Big Cone Pine

Coulter Pine Needles

Pinus Coulteri

Reference:

  1. https://lpfw.org/our-region/wildlife/coulter-pine/
  2. http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=226
  3. https://conifersociety.org/conifers/pinus-coulteri/
  4. https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_coulteri.php
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulter_pine

Published on February 6th 2017 by Bony Palchaudhuri under Pine.
Article was last reviewed on 5th December 2024.

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