Trees of Plumas
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Trees of Plumas Plumas National Forest Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga Incense-cedar Calocedrus decurrens menziessii 80’-160’ Deer 60’-150’ The thick, reddish bark of and grouse feed on the older trees protects it from some fires. dark yellow-green or Because the wood is soft but not blue-green needles while splintery, it is the leading wood for Cones: 2” -3 birds prefer the seeds. 1/2” manufacture of pencils. Found with Often found with White Needles on Sugar and Ponderosa Pine and White Fir and Ponderosa Pines all sides Fir. 3/4”-1 1/4” Cones: in elevations up to 6000’. 3/4” - 1” Scale like Named for David Douglas, 1/8” - 1/2” a Scottish botanist. Lodgepole Pine Sugar Pine Pinus lambertiana Pinus contorta 20’-80’ 100’-250’ The giant cones are Distributed from Alaska to noticeable from a distance Mexico, in the Sierras it is 2 needles found with Jeffrey Pines in a bundle, hanging on the branches of this 1 1/4” - pine. Growing at elevations from and Red Firs. The 2 1/4” 2000’ to 7800’, it can be found Sierra variety tends with Ponderosa and Jeffrey Pines, to be a tall, narrow firs, Incense-cedar and tree with thin, scaly Douglas-fir. Its sweetish resin was bark and lightweight eaten by Native Americans almost cones that open at maturity. Cones: like gum. 3/4” - 2” 5 needles in a bundle, 2 3/4” - 4” Cones: 11” - 18” Black Cottonwood Populus Max of 21” trichocarpa 60’-120’ This tree Canyon Live Oak Quercus chrysolepis has dark green, oval leaves 20’-100’ Found in the river canyons, the and a smooth, gray bark that shiny green leaves stay on the tree furrows with age. It prefers year-round. Leaves on mature trees Leaves: wetter soils of stream banks Leaves: 1”-3” 3” - 6” Acorn: 1”-2” can be smooth and without teeth. and can be found with willows. Ponderosa Pine Pinus Jeffrey Pine Pinus jeffreyi ponderosa 50’-200’ Often 80’-130’ Though very similar Cones: grows with and is mistaken for to the ponderosa, the Jeffrey 2” - 6” Jeffrey Pine. One difference differs in the appearance of its between the two is that the pinecone, and its needles, Ponderosa pinecone is smaller which are normally 5 to 10 and prickly when touched. inches long and 3 to a bundle. “Prickly Ponderosa, gentle Its bark also smells good, like Jeffrey.” Also called “Western vanilla or pineapples. Jeffrey Cones: Yellow Pine”. Ponderosa has 3 seeds are commonly cached by 5” - 10” needles in a bundle, about 4 to ground squirrels and 8 inches in length. Grows at chipmunks, who unknowingly elevations up to 7,000 feet. plant the next generations. United States Plumas National Forest P.O. Box 11500, Department of www.fs.usda.gov/plumas Quincy, CA 95971 Agriculture (530) 283-2050 Revised 7/2017 White fir cones: California Red Fir Abies 3” - 5” White Fir Abies concolor magnifica 100’-150’ 70’-160’ Also called California With short blue-green White Fir, in contrast to the Rocky needles on well spaced, Mountain White Fir. Fire fan-shaped branches, suppression during the last this is a popular century allowed the thin barked Christmas tree. Young younger trees to mature. Its shade White fir needles trees have a white bark. in two rows, tolerant nature meant it could grow It’s commonly called 1 1/2” - 2 1/2” under older pines, making it too “Silvertip”. Red Fir cones dark for young pines to grow. are similar to White Fir, except that Red Fir are bigger; Quaking Aspen Populus 6 to 8 inches in length. tremuloides 40’-70’ The green, nearly round leaves Needles curved up, crowded in 2 of this tree “quake” in a rows Leaves: breeze because of their flattened stalks. 1 1/4” - 3” Foothill Pine (Gray Pine) The white, smooth bark makes it easy to Pinus sabiniana 40’-70’ spot year-round, while the gold leaves add Slender with forked trunk and autumn color to the forest. branches, the Gray Pine’s Other: name come from its gray- Greenleaf Manzanita green needles. Found at Arctostaphylos patula Up to 6’ One lower elevations and foothills, of the most widespread manzanitas, 1,000’ to 3,000’. it prefers rocky slopes. A hard coat 3 in a bundle, 8”-12” on the seeds sometimes needs fire Leaves: in order for it to sprout. Scale like 1”-2” needles in Western Juniper 3’s, 1/16” Juniperus occidentalis 15’-60’ Willow Salix sp. Noticeably different from pines 3’-10’ A thicket-forming with its berrylike, fleshy, bluish shrub with yellow-brown or Leaves: 1 1/2” - 4” seed cones. Western Junipers red twigs. Leaves are skinny and can grow in drier, rockier green, turning yellow or orange in the fall. soil than most pines and firs. Bigleaf Maple Acer macrophyllum The bark is sequoia-like with its 30’-60’ The largest leaves of all reddish-brown, furrowed and maples. They are dark green until shredded appearance. Leaves: turning orange or yellow in autumn. 6” - 10” Mountain Alder Alnus tenuifolia “Flower” 30’ Can be either a shrub with Pacific Dogwood Cornus nuttallii Up 4” - 6” spreading branches or a small to 50’ in height. A small tree with tree with several trunks. Found beautiful white flowers in late spring on the banks of streams or in and often again in late summer. Bitter Leaves: Leaves: 1 1/2” - 4” 2 1/2” - 4 1/2” canyons in moist soils. Cones: 3/8” - 5/8” red or orange berries mature in autumn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 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