California Foothill Pine

Scientific Name: Pinus sabiniana Douglas ex Douglas

Classification: Plantae/ Tracheobionta / Spermatophyta / Coniferophyta / Pinopsida / / Pinales / Pinaceae / Pinus L./ Pinus sabiniana Douglas ex Douglas

California Foothill Pine
General Information
Usda SymbolPISA2
GroupGymnosperm
Life CyclePerennial
Growth HabitsTree
Native LocationsPISA2

Plant Guide

Alternative Names

foothill pine, bull pine, digger pine, California foothill pine , Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of California Foothill Pine.

Uses

Ethnobotanic: The seeds of gray pine were eaten by many California Indian tribes and are still served in Native American homes today. They can be eaten fresh and whole in the raw state, roasted, or pounded into flour and mixed with other types of seeds. The seeds were eaten by the Pomo, Sierra Miwok, Western Mono, Wappo, Salinan, Southern Maidu, Lassik, Costanoan, and Kato, among others. Sierra Miwok men climbed the trees and twisted the green cones off by hand before the seeds were fully developed. These immature cones were roasted for 20 minutes in hot ashes, yielding a brown, sweet syrup. The pitch of the gray pine was used as a medicine by the Western Mono and the branches were made into household utensils for stirring acorn mush. The Costanoan used the pitch as a treatment for rheumatism. The needles were used for thatch, bedding, and floor covering and the bark for house covering by the Sierra Miwok. The branches and roots were used in California Indian basketry and still gathered to a limited extent by contemporary weavers. Wildlife: Numerous birds feed on the seeds of gray pine including the red-shafted flicker, California jay, and band-tailed pigeon. The foliage, bark, and seeds provide food for black bears, Douglas chickarees, and gray squirrels. Mule and white-tailed deer browse the foliage and twigs.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values.

Description

General: Pine Family (Pinaceae). This native tree reaches 38 m in height with a trunk less than 2 m wide. The gray-green foliage is sparse and it has three needles per bundle. Each needle reaches 9-38 cm in length. The trunk often grows in a crooked fashion and is deeply grooved when mature. The seed cone of gray pine is pendent, 10-28 cm, and opens slowly during the second season, dispersing winged seeds.

Distribution

It ranges in parts of the California Floristic Province, the western Great Basin and western deserts. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Establishment

Adaptation: This tree is found in the foothill woodland, northern oak woodland, chaparral, mixed conifer forests and hardwood forests from 150-1500m. Extract seeds from the cones and gently rub the wings off, and soak them in water for 48 hours, drain them, and thoroughly surface-dry. Put seeds in a plastic bag, without any medium, seal the bag and place them in refrigerated conditions until their Plant Materials <http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/> Plant Fact Sheet/Guide Coordination Page <http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/intranet/pfs.html> National Plant Data Center <http://npdc.usda.gov>

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<http://npdc.usda.gov> chilling treatment begins. Allow three times the air space as seed space in the bag. It is best to sow the seeds in May and therefore, expose the seeds to a chilling treatment of at least sixteen weeks prior to sowing. After cold stratification, plant the seeds in a well-drained coarse potting mix in leach tubes that are narrow but deep with two seeds per tube. These containers should allow roots to reach the air and stop growing and be at least 6 inches deep. Fertilize the containers with a starter formulation of fertilizer with low or zero nitrogen. These containers can be kept in a greenhouse for the first 4 to 6 weeks, receiving 70-degree temperatures during the day. Keep the surface of the soil moist during the germination phase. Next after the first set of cotyledons, water the plants with a deep, thorough soaking and let the plants dry in between watering. Thin the plants down to one per container and move the pots into a shade-house with 30 percent shade after 4 to 6 weeks. Protect the plants from wind and wildlife. During the main summer growing season use a balanced fertilizer applied to each container. At the end of the growing season use a finisher formulation of fertilizer. Plant the plants in the ground outside in the late winter or early spring in moist soil. Conduct supplemental hand watering or irrigation if the rains are insufficient. Clear weeds in a 3 feet by 3 feet area around the plants to encourage better survival and growth rate. Make sure a protective barrier is placed around the conifers such as vexar tubing to shield them from jack rabbits, deer and other wildlife that may feed on the leaves, stems, and roots.

Management

The Pomo pruned the trees periodically. Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin) This species is available from most nurseries within its range that handle native plants. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

References

Barrett, S.A. & E.W. Gifford 1933. Miwok material culture. Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee 2(4):117-376. Beard, Y.S. 1979. The Wappo A Report. Malki Museum Press. Morongo Indian Reservation, Banning, California. Bocek, B.R. 1984. Ethnobotany of Costanoan Indians, California, based on collections by John P. Harrington. Economic Botany 38(2):240-255. CalPhotos 2000. Pinus sabiniana. <http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num =16975&one=T>. Version: 000229. CalFlora, Inc., Berkeley, California. Essene, F. 1942. Culture element distributions: XXI Round Valley. Anthropological Records 8(1):1-97. Goode, R.W. 1992. Cultural traditions endangered. Unpublished report. Goodrich, J., C. Lawson, & V. P. Lawson Kashaya Pomo plants. American Indian Studies Center. University of California, Los Angeles, California. Griffin, J.R. 1993. Pinus. Pages 117-120 IN: The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. J.C. Hickman (ed.). University of California Press, Berkeley, California. Littlejohn, H.W. 1928. Nisenan geography. Unpublished manuscript in the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California. Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, & A.L. Nelson 1951. American wildlife and plants: A guide to wildlife food habits. Dover Publications, New York, New York. Peri, D.W., S.M. Patterson, & J.L. Goodrich 1982. Ethnobotanical mitigation Warm Springs Dam-Lake Sonoma California. Unpublished report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, San Francisco, California. USDA, NRCS 2000. The PLANTS database. <http://plants.usda.gov>. Version: 000229. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Temperature, Minimum (°F)12
Adapted to Coarse Textured SoilsYes
Adapted to Fine Textured SoilsNo
Adapted to Medium Textured SoilsYes
Anaerobic ToleranceNone
CaCO3 ToleranceMedium
Cold Stratification RequiredYes
Drought ToleranceHigh
Fertility RequirementLow
Fire ToleranceLow
Frost Free Days, Minimum230
Hedge ToleranceLow
Moisture UseLow
pH, Maximum8.3
pH, Minimum6.0
Planting Density per Acre, Maxim1200
Planting Density per Acre, Minim430
Precipitation, Maximum24
Precipitation, Minimum14
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)40
Salinity ToleranceNone
Shade ToleranceIntolerant


Morphology/Physiology

BloatNone
ToxicityNone
Resprout AbilityNo
Shape and OrientationErect
Active Growth PeriodSpring and Summer
C:N RatioHigh
Coppice PotentialNo
Fall ConspicuousNo
Fire ResistantNo
Flower ColorYellow
Flower ConspicuousNo
Foliage ColorGreen
Foliage Porosity SummerDense
Foliage Porosity WinterDense
Foliage TextureMedium
Fruit/Seed ConspicuousNo
Nitrogen FixationNone
Low Growing GrassNo
LifespanModerate
Leaf RetentionYes
Known AllelopathNo
Height, Mature (feet)80.0
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (fee20
Growth RateSlow
Growth FormSingle Stem
Fruit/Seed ColorBrown


Reproduction

Vegetative Spread RateNone
Small GrainNo
Seedling VigorMedium
Seed Spread RateSlow
Seed per Pound580
Fruit/Seed PersistenceNo
Propagated by TubersNo
Propagated by SprigsNo
Propagated by SodNo
Propagated by SeedYes
Propagated by CormNo
Propagated by CuttingsNo
Bloom PeriodEarly Spring
Commercial AvailabilityContracting Only
Fruit/Seed AbundanceHigh
Fruit/Seed Period BeginSummer
Fruit/Seed Period EndFall
Propagated by Bare RootYes
Propagated by BulbNo
Propagated by ContainerYes


Suitability/Use

Veneer ProductNo
Pulpwood ProductNo
Protein PotentialLow
Post ProductNo
Palatable HumanYes
Palatable Graze AnimalLow
Palatable Browse AnimalLow
Nursery Stock ProductYes
Naval Store ProductNo
Lumber ProductNo
Fuelwood ProductMedium
Fodder ProductNo
Christmas Tree ProductNo
Berry/Nut/Seed ProductNo

California Foothill Pine

California Foothill Pine

California Foothill Pine

California Foothill Pine

California Foothill Pine

California Foothill Pine