Sugar Pine
Pinus lambertiana
- Native to:
- Mexico, United States
Mitch (www.flickr.com) from Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Coniferophyta | - Conifers
- Family:
- Pinaceae
- Genus:
- Pinus
- Species:
- Pinus lambertiana
- USDA Symbol:
- PILA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 7500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, squirrels
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Mature trees have thick bark providing fire resistance; seedlings and saplings are fire-sensitive. Historically adapted to low-intensity surface fires.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Prefers deep soils in mountainous regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification; germination improved by consistent moisture and temperatures around 20°C.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are placed in cold moist stratification for 90 days or soaked in cold running water for 48 hours, then placed in cold stratification rooms for 30 to 45 days. Rooms are equipped with foggers to keep the seed moist at all times. Temperatures are set at 1C (33F). Seed is monitored daily to detect seed mold. If mold is found, the seed is hosed down with water.
Establishment: Most seed comes from wild collections, with the remainder coming from seed orchards managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. All seed is kept separate by the collection area, elevation and date collected. All seed is collected in the fall.
Source: npn.rngr.net