Conifers of the Pacific Slope California, Oregon, and Washington Michael Edward Kauffmann In association with: California Native Plant Society, North Coast Chapter Redwood Science Project, Humboldt State University
Olympic National Park Order this book online at www.backcountrypress.com or visit the interactive website at www.pacslope-conifers.com Copyright 2013 Michael Edward Kauffmann First Edition Text pages printed on 100% recycled, 100% post-consumer waste in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the author. All photos, text, and maps by author, except where noted Book layout by author, cover design with help from Allison Poklemba Cover background image: Siskiyou Wilderness Front cover (left to right): western hemlock - foxtail pines - Jeffrey pine cone Back cover: Brewer spruce cone in the Marble Mountain Wilderness Published by Backcountry Press Kneeland, California ISBN 978-0-939431-40-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2013901839 Printing by www.angelprint.com Oceanside, California
For John O. Sawyer Don t talk to me about other worlds, separate realities, lost continents, or invisible realms-i know where I belong. Heaven is home. Utopia is here. Nirvana is now. -Edward Abbey
Table of Contents West of the Great Divide 8 Foreward: The birth of a love for conifers 11 The Pacific Slope 12 Global distribution and diversity of conifers 17 Key to Pacific Slope conifers Section 1: CUPRESSACEAE Cypresses Southwest cypresses 26 27 Cupressus montana - San Pedro Martir cypress Cupressus nevadensis - Piute cypress Cupressus revealiana - Rincon cypress Cupressus stephensonii - Cuyamaca cypress Cupressus guadalupensis - Guadalupe cypress 28 Cupressus forbesii - Tecate cypress California coastal cypresses map p. 29 30 Cupressus abramsiana - Santa Cruz cypress map p. 30 31 Cupressus goveniana - Gowen cypress map p. 31 32 Cupressus macrocarpa - Monterey cypress map p. 32 33 Cupressus pigmaea - Mendocino cypress map p. 33 Northern California interior cypresses 34 Cupressus bakeri - Baker cypress 35 Cupressus macnabiana - McNab cypress 36 Cupressus sargentii - Sargent cypress The Cedars map p. 37 38 Callitropsis nootkatensis - yellow-cedar map p. 39 40 Calocedrus decurrens - incense-cedar map p. 41 42 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Port Orford-cedar map p. 43 44 Thuja plicata - western redcedar map p. 45 Redwood and Sequoia 46 Sequoia sempervirens - redwood map p. 47 48 Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia map p. 49
Junipers 50 Juniperus californica - California juniper map p. 51 52 Juniperus communis - common juniper map p. 53 54 Juniperus grandis - Sierra juniper 55 Juniperus occidentalis - western juniper map p. 57 56 Juniperus osteosperma - Utah juniper 58 Juniperus maritima - seaside juniper Juniperus scopulorum - Rocky Mountain juniper map p. 59 Section 2: PINACEAE True Firs 62 Abies amabilis - Pacific silver fir map p. 63 64 Abies bracteata - bristlecone fir map p. 65 66 Abies concolor var. concolor - Rocky Mountain white fir 67 Abies concolor var. lowiana - California white fir 68 Abies grandis - grand fir map p. 69 70 Abies lasiocarpa - subalpine fir map p. 71 72 Abies magnifica - red fir 73 Abies procera - noble fir 74 Abies x shastensis - Shasta fir map p. 75 Larches 76 Larix lyallii - subalpine larch map p. 77 78 Larix occidentalis - western larch map p. 79 Spruces 80 Picea breweriana - Brewer spruce map p. 81 82 Picea engelmannii - Engelmann spruce map p. 83 84 Picea sitchensis - Sitka spruce map p. 85
Pines Pinyon pines 86 Pinus edulis - Colorado pinyon pine 87 Pinus monophylla - singleleaf pinyon pine 88 Pinus quadrifolia - Parry pine Pines of the section Balfourianae 90 Pinus balfouriana ssp. balfouriana - northern foxtail pine 91 Pinus balfouriana ssp. austrina - southern foxtail pine 92 Pinus longaeva - bristlecone pine Strobus-like pines map p. 89 map p. 93 94 Pinus albicaulis - whitebark pine map p. 95 96 Pinus flexilis - limber pine map p. 97 98 Pinus lambertiana - sugar pine map p. 99 100 Pinus monticola - western white pine map p. 101 Ponderosa-like pines 102 Pinus coulteri - Coulter pine map p. 103 104 Pinus jeffreyi - Jeffrey pine map p. 105 106 Pinus ponderosa - ponderosa pine map p. 107 108 Pinus sabiniana - ghost pine map p. 109 110 Pinus torreyana - Torrey pine map p. 110 Closed-cone pines 111 Pinus radiata - Monterey pine map p. 111 112 Pinus attenuata - knobcone pine map p. 113 114 Pinus muricata - bishop pine map p. 115 Lodgepole pines 116 Pinus contorta ssp. contorta - shore pine 117 Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia - Sierra lodgepole pine 118 Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana - lodgepole pine map p. 119 Douglas-firs 120 Pseudotsuga macrocarpa - bigcone Douglas-fir map p. 121 122 Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas-fir map p. 123
Hemlocks 124 Tsuga heterophylla - western hemlock map p. 125 126 Tsuga mertensiana - mountain hemlock map p. 127 Section 3: TAXACEAE 130 Taxus brevifolia - Pacific yew map p. 131 132 Torreya californica - California nutmeg map p. 133 Tying a Bow around It 134 Glossary 136 Bibliography 137 Coniferous destinations along the Pacific Slope 142 Conifers and climate change 144 About the author Special Thanks: To my friend and mentor John O. Sawyer, who provided inspiration for this book since its earliest stages. John passed away in the summer of 2012, but his contributions to native plants and beyond will last forever. My sweet wife Allison Poklemba has provided much of the love for feeding my passion for plants. Corey Lewis, David Rains Wallace, and David Fix worked with me extensively on the narrative. David Charlet, Stephen Arno, Christopher Earle, and Jeff Bisbee were exceptionally helpful with reviewing range maps and treatments. Denise Newman did one heck of a job copy editing. This book would not have achieved these finishing notes without the folks mentioned, and many others. While the successes of the book are due to all reviewers listed below, any shortcomings are solely attributable to the author. Content was thoroughly reviewed as well, but understandings change and new ideas arise. Inevitably, there will be issues to address in the next edition. Contributing reviewers, in alphabetical order: Stephen Arno Jeff Bisbee David Charlet Christopher Earle David Fix Sue Leskiw Corey Lewis Denise Newman John O. Sawyer David Rains Wallace All photos by author, unless otherwise noted. Contributing Photographers: Brandon Andre (3) Jeff Bisbee (23) Jeffrey Kane (5) Joey Malone (2) Allison Poklemba (2)