sugar pine
Pinus lambertiana · Pinaceae
sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) is a perennial tree in the Pinaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -28°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 229 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.6–8 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Brown USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 229 ft, making it a large tree that will dominate its site. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are brown.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring, summer, fall. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 25 to 90 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 150 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 40 inches, too deep for containers or thin soil over bedrock. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, bare root and container stock. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Pinus
- whitebark pine Pinus albicaulis
- bristlecone pine Pinus aristata
- jack pine Pinus banksiana
- Canary Island pine Pinus canariensis
Similar role and hardiness
- Pacific silver fir Abies amabilis
- black walnut Juglans nigra
- goldenrain tree Koelreuteria paniculata
- European crab apple Malus sylvestris
- Oriental arborvitae Platycladus orientalis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol PILA, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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