Pinus lambertiana

Lore & Background

Naturalist John Muir considered it the 'king of the conifers.' The common name comes from the sweet resin, which Native Americans used as a sweetener; John Muir found it preferable to maple sugar. The species has among the longest cones of any conifer, mostly 10–50 cm (4–20 in) long, though they can reach 56 cm (22 in). The unripe cones weigh 1–2 kg (2.2–4.4 lb) and can become perilous projectiles when chewed off by squirrels.

The sugar pine is the tallest and most massive of all pine species, commonly growing to great heights, with exceptional individuals reaching even taller. The tallest known specimen, discovered in 2015 in Yosemite National Park, stands at a record height. Another famous Yosemite tree, the "Yosemite Giant," measured nearly as tall before succumbing to a bark beetle attack in 2007. A third tall specimen in the same park, affected by the Rim Fire, survived. Notable tall living trees also exist in southern Oregon, including one in Umpqua National Forest and another in Siskiyou National Forest. The bark is brown to purple and can be thick, while the upper branches may extend outward over considerable distances. Like all white pines, its needles grow in bundles of five with a deciduous sheath, each needle measuring a specific length. The seeds are small, with a long wing for wind dispersal. This tree never forms pure stands, always growing in mixed forests, and is shade tolerant when young. Its native range spans from Oregon through California and into Baja California, occurring in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and Sierra San Pedro Martir, generally at elevations between 300 and 3,000 meters above sea level. It is more abundant in the southern part of its range. The massive genome, sequenced in 2016, is one of the largest ever assembled, dominated by transposable elements that contribute to its enormous size.

Reader's Guide

Pinus lambertiana is ecologically and historically significant as the tallest and most massive pine species, with a genome of 31 gigabases—one of the largest sequenced and assembled. Climate change poses additional threats by weakening tree defenses and increasing pest survival. The species never grows in pure stands and is shade tolerant in youth. Its seeds are eaten by yellow pine chipmunks, Steller's jays, and black bears. Native Americans ate the seeds raw or roasted, made flour from them, and consumed the sweet sap in small quantities. The species' decline due to multiple threats underscores the need for ongoing restoration.

Did You Know?

• The sugar pine's genome is 31 gigabases, one of the largest sequenced and assembled.
• The unripe cones weigh 1–2 kg (2.2–4.4 lb) and can become perilous projectiles when chewed off by squirrels.
• Native Americans used the sweet resin as a sweetener, and John Muir found it preferable to maple sugar.