| Common Name |
Coulter Pine |
| Latin Name |
Pinus coulteri |
| Family /Origin |
Pinaceae
/ Named for Thomas Coulter, Irish
botanist and physician |
| Sunset zone / USDA zone |
3-10, 14-23 / 8,9 |
| Type / Form |
Tree / Medium to large |
| Native Habitat |
Dry slopes of mountains of Southern California. from 1,000 to
7,000 feet |
| Soil |
Dry to moist, decomposed granite, sand, clay loam,
limestone, low to some organic content, well drained |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Water |
Once to twice per month depending on soil in hot weather |
| Height X Width |
To 40 feet X 20 feet , 70 feet tall unusual |
| Protective Mechanism |
None |
| Leaves |
Evergreen needles, 8 to 12 inches long,
stiff and straight, in fascicles of 3, gray-green with lengthwise rows
of stomatal bloom. Crowded near the ends of branches, persist 2 to 3
years |
| Flowers |
Monoecious; male cones yellow
in tight clusters; female cones dark red-brown |
| Bark / Roots |
Mature bark is dark gray to
black, deeply furrowed with scaly ridges |
| Maintenance |
None |
| Propagation |
It is best to sow the seed in individual
pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise
in late winter. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°c can improve the
germination of stored seed. Plant seedlings out into their permanent
positions as soon as possible and protect them for their first winter or
two. Plants have a very sparse root system and the sooner they are
planted into their permanent positions the better they will grow. Trees
should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite
small, between 30 and 90cm. We actually plant them out when they are
about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they are given a very good
weed-excluding mulch they establish very well. Larger trees will check
badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly
affects root development and wind resistance. Cuttings. This method only
works when taken from very young trees less than 10 years old. Use
single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding the
shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help. Cuttings are
normally slow to grow away. |
| Pests and Diseases |
Western Pine Beetle |
| Landscape Uses |
Erosion control, low maintenance |
| Garden Suitability |
Thornless, Songbird, Fragrant, Mountain, Ethnobotanical |
| Nature Value |
Nuts eaten by squirrels and birds |
| Native American Uses |
Nuts eaten raw or baked, long needles used to make pine
needle baskets |
| Links |
|
| Images and data |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=226 |
| Images and data |
http://www.conifers.org/pi/pin/coulteri.htm |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=6512 |
| Images and data |
http://www.aplantsgarden.com/plants/pinus-coult.asp |
| Images and data |
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53007/index.html |
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_coulteri |
| Data |
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Pinus+coulteri |
| Data |
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pincou/all.html |
| Nursery, images and data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/504.htm |
| Nursery |
Oak Hills Nursery, 13874 Ranchero Road, Oak Hills, 92345,
760-947-6261 |
| Distribution map |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PICO3 |
| Note: |
Moderate pollinator and high
fuel factor = fire danger. |
