Pinus contorta

Beach pine

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Beach pine is a California native shrub found in coastal regions in maritime environments. Producing small brown seed cones 2 to 6 centimeters long that hang pendulously, this pine has distinctive thin, scaly bark that develops with age. Growing with complex branching patterns, its stems can range from low shrubs to small trees up to 34 meters tall. Its needles grow in paired bundles, each needle 2.5 to 8.6 centimeters long with persistent sheaths that add texture to its branches. The tree's uniquely angled cone scale tips and small prickles less than 6 millimeters long contribute to its characteristic appearance.

California counties: Los Angeles, Madera, Del Norte, Mendocino, San Bernardino, Humboldt, Inyo, Butte, Plumas, Fresno, Alpine, Siskiyou, Sierra, Tulare, Tuolumne, Alameda, Shasta, Lassen, Placer, Trinity, Nevada, Mono, Sacramento, Riverside, Tehama, El Dorado, Orange

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.