Turning observations into information for over ten years

By Roger Erismann, Casey Usher Form, Function, and Taxonomy The coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ), also known as California redwood,...

The Gray Pine—also known as foothill pine, bull pine, gray pine or ghost pine—is one of California’s most distinctive native conifers. Often maligned for its irregular, “unkempt” appearance, Pinus sabiniana nevertheless represents a remarkable evolutionary response to some of the state’s most challenging growing conditions. Mature trees typically reach 40 to 80 feet, with sparse, twisted crowns, long, silver-green needles, and multiple upright trunks that self-prune over time

The blue oak, Quercus douglasii, is a California endemic and a standout among the state’s diverse oak species. It occupies a distinctive ecological niche in the hot, dry, and rocky foothills encircling California’s Central Valley, thriving where few other trees can.