Bigcone pine

The size ranges from 10-24 m tall, and a trunk diameter up to 1 m . The trunk is vertical and branches horizontal to upcurved. The leaves are needle-like, in bundles of three, glaucous gray-green, 15-30 cm long and stout, 2 mm thick. The outstanding characteristic of this tree is the large, spiny cones which are 20-40 cm long, and weigh 2-5 kg when fresh. Coulter Pines produce the largest cones of any pine tree species , although the slender cones of the sugar pine are longer. The large size of the cones has earned them the nickname widowmakers among locals. The wood is weak and soft, so that the species is little used other than for firewood. It is also occasionally planted as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens.

bigcone pine) that may be over a foot long and are covered with long, wicked, incurving claws. The needles are inthrees, about 9 inches long and have a deep bluish tinge. Coulter pine is widespread in the coast ranges of Southern California, but is also common in the Santa Lucia Mountains just south of Monterey, and reaches as far north as the Bay Area. The cone scales have a rather attractive two-tone coloration. More