Jeffrey Pine

(Pinus jeffreyi)

Color Photographs: © by and courtesy of Charles Webber, California Academy of Sciences

Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi)

Identifying Characters: This species is characterized by the reddish-brown bark, the large, elongate cones with a long, reflexed spine terminating each cone scale, and the bundles of 3 needles.

Similar Species: Jeffrey Pine is most likely be confused with Ponderosa Pine within its range and, in fact, was earlier considered to be a variety of Ponderosa Pine. The cones are longer, larger, and more elongate than in Ponderosa Pine and the spine at the end of each cone scale is longer and reflexed. Although the morphology of the bark of the two species is similar, the bark of Jeffrey Pine is a distinctive reddish-brown. In contrast the bark of Ponderosa Pine is yellowish-brown or black.

Measurements: Mature trees between 80 and 150 feet, although specimens up to 200 feet have been recored; diameter 2 to 4 feet.

Cones: Cones 5 to 15 inches long, elongate, and bulging in the center; cone scales more numerous than in ponderosa, with a central keel and terminated with a long, reflexed spine.

Needles: Needles in bundles of 3 and 5 to 10 inches long; needles thick and gray-green to blue-green in color; white lines present on all surfaces.

Bark: Bark cinnamon brown, thick, and divided into narrow, scaly plates.

Native Range: Primarily a California species, Jeffrey Pine ranges north through the Klamath Mountains into southwestern Oregon, across the Sierra Nevada into western Nevada, and south in the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges into northern Baja California. This distribution is intimately linked with edaphic factors in the northwest portion of the range and strongly reflects climatic and elevational factors in the northeast, central, and southern portions. (Silvics of North America. 1990. Agriculture Handbook 654.)

Habitat: A montane species growing on very dry, exposed slopes up to elevations of 7000 feet.