Coulter Pine Pinus coulteri

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These trees range in size from 25 to 75 feet in height. The long needles occur in bunches of three and can be 6 to 12-plus inches long. Their unique claim to fame is their large cone—it is the largest cone of any pine (The Sugar Pine has the longest cone). They are more commonly found on south-facing slopes above 2000 feet elevation and often in mixed forests. Thomas Coulter "discovered" this species in the Santa Lucia Mountains in 1831 after it had been missed by the botinist David Douglas.

©2011 Steven K. Harper