Coulter pine Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Coulter pine Pinus coulteri

A Pinus coulteri seed cone at Mount Wilson, .
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification

Natural range

The Coulter pine, also known as the big-cone pine, is a special tree found in the mountains of Southern California and northern Baja California in Mexico. You can also find some groups of these trees further north, near Clearlake, California, and in the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. This tree got its name from Thomas Coulter, who was an Irish botanist (someone who studies plants) and a doctor.

The Coulter pine is famous for growing the heaviest pine cones of any pine tree in the world! Even though it doesn't grow in many places naturally, people like to plant it in parks and gardens because it's a beautiful tree.

What Does It Look Like?
- The Amazing Cones
Where Does It Grow?
How Are Coulter Pines Used?
Images for kids
See also

What Does It Look Like?

The Pinus coulteri is a large evergreen tree that stays green all year round. It belongs to the genus Pinus. These trees can grow to be about 30 to 80 feet (10 to 24 meters) tall. Their trunks can be as wide as 3 feet (1 meter). The trunk usually grows straight up, and its branches spread out or point slightly upwards.

Its leaves look like needles and come in groups of three. They are a grayish-green color and are quite long, about 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters). They are also thick, about 0.08 inches (2 millimeters).

The Amazing Cones

The most amazing thing about the Coulter pine is its huge, spiky cones. These cones can be 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 centimeters) long. When they are fresh, they can weigh between 4 to 11 pounds (2 to 5 kilograms)! That's like carrying a small bowling ball!

Coulter pines produce the biggest cones of any pine tree. People who work near these trees are sometimes told to wear hard hats because the falling cones can be dangerous. Because of their large size, locals sometimes call these cones "widowmakers." However, the cones of the sugar pine are longer, even if they are not as heavy.

Where Does It Grow?

The Coulter pine is closely related to the foothill pine. It also shares its living areas with the Jeffrey pine and the ponderosa pine, though it's not as closely related to them. Coulter pines usually grow in drier places than ponderosa and Jeffrey pines.

This tall, medium-sized pine tree likes to grow on sunny, south-facing slopes. You can find it at elevations from about 650 to 7,500 feet (200 to 2,300 meters) above sea level. It can grow well in dry, rocky soil. The Pinus coulteri often grows in forests mixed with other types of trees. For example, in the San Jacinto Mountains, Coulter pines grow alongside the California black oak. Woodpeckers often look for insects under the bark of these trees.

How Are Coulter Pines Used?

Many animals, especially squirrels, love to gather and eat the large seeds from Coulter pine cones. Long ago, Native Americans also ate these seeds.

The wood from the Coulter pine is not very strong or hard. Because of this, it's mostly used for firewood and not often for building things.

The Pinus coulteri is also grown as an ornamental tree. This means people plant it in parks and big gardens because it looks nice. It's also popular for drought tolerant landscaping, which means it can grow well even when there isn't much water. The Coulter pine has even won an award called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit for being a great garden plant.