There are giants in the mountains near the West Coast of the U.S. These giants are sugar pine trees (Pinus lambertiana), sometimes known as the “King of the Pines”. They grow in mixed conifer forests of the coastal and inland mountains of the Pacific Coast in southern Oregon and northern and western California. There is also a small population in western Nevada near Lake Tahoe. Specifically, their primary range includes the Sierra Nevada and Klamath, Siskiyou, and Cascade Mountains.
Known for their impressive size, sugar pines can reach 200 feet and more in height. The tallest known tree is in Yosemite National Park, standing 273 feet tall, the height of a 27-story building. Their trunks are typically straight, often measuring up to five feet or more in diameter. Their immense size is only surpassed by Giant Sequoias and Coastal Redwoods, which are not pine species. Sugar pines can live for several hundred years, with some specimens known to be over 500 years old.
A distinctive characteristic of the sugar pine is its immense cones. They can reach 20 inches or more in length and weigh up to four pounds each. The branches of the trees often droop due to the weight of multiple cones. Their size and weight actually make them a hazard. Green cones falling from 100 feet or more can injure a person struck by the cone. Typically, mature cones fall naturally in the autumn. Green cones can also come crashing down when squirrels chew through the base of the cone. While living in Kings Canyon National Park, I witnessed dented vehicles struck by falling sugar pine cones. After they have opened up and released their seeds the cones are sometimes collected and used as decorations.
Sugar pine trees are easily identified by their long, slender needles, which typically range from 3 to 5 inches in length. These needles grow in clusters of five, a characteristic shared with other pines in the white pine group.
They also have a sweet-smelling sap which gives them their name. Native American people were known to use the sap as a natural adhesive and as “chewing gum.” It is also reported that early settlers used the sap as a remedy for sore throats.
Sugar pines are magnificent trees and one of the unique living species that contribute to the allure of the American West.