Sugar Pine
Pinus lambertiana
The largest and tallest of all pines, a magnificent Sierra and Cascade conifer bearing the longest cones of any conifer (up to 20+ inches), with sweet resin that gives it its name. Long prized for high-grade lumber; like other five-needle white pines it is threatened by introduced white pine blister rust.
Field reference
Family
Pinaceae
Growth rate
Moderate
Mature size
100–200 ft tall, 25–40 ft spread (the tallest, largest pine)
Hardiness zone
6–8
Soil preference
Deep, well-drained mountain soils; moderate drought tolerance
Sun
Full sun
Pruning window
Late dormant season; mature trees self-prune very high
Wood properties
Light, soft, even-grained white pine (~0.36 SG) of superb quality, historically a premier western lumber. Massive straight stems; enormous 12–20 inch cones are the hallmark.
Native range
Mountains of Oregon, California, and Baja California (Sierra Nevada and Cascades)
Green weight
36 lb/ft³
Common questions
Does sugar pine really have the longest cones?
Yes — sugar pine bears the longest cones of any conifer, commonly 12–20 inches and occasionally longer, dangling from the branch tips of these giant trees.
What threatens sugar pine?
White pine blister rust, an introduced fungal disease, kills five-needle pines including sugar pine. Restoration efforts focus on planting rust-resistant seedlings selected from surviving trees.
Related species in Pinaceae
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