Santa Lucia Fir Abies bracteata

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Scattered in the Santa Lucia Mountains of the Los Padres National Forest is the rarest and most unusual of all species of fir, the Santa Lucia fir (also known as the bristlecone fir). Found only in the mountains whose name it bears, the Santa Lucia fir is restricted to the upper watersheds of the Carmel, Little Sur, Big Sur, Arroyo Seco, San Antonio and Nacimiento Rivers, and in many smaller watersheds of the Big Sur region — always within 13 miles of the coast. The southern-most documented populations are located near Hearst's Castle, in northwestern San Luis Obispo County.

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