Pinus attenuata - Knobcone Pine

The Knobcone Pine is a California native conifer closely related to the Monterey Pine and will hybridize in overlapping native stands. Often seen as a single stemmed tree, one of the most obvious features to me is its commonly seen multi-stemmed habit. The trees prefer poor sandy soils and will likely reach 30-50' tall. The most recognizable features are the clusters of long lasting cones and groves of all the same age due to their dependance on fire to open the cones.

Leaves are evergreen, needle shaped, 3 needles per cluster, medium green or yellowish green, straight or twisted, slender but stiff, lasting 4-5 years, 3-1/2 to 6" long.

Stems reddish brown, not thick, not thin.

Long terminal bud, most likely going to develop female cones.

Cones 4-6" long, in whorls of 4-5, conical but asymmetrical, yellowish brown, hard, and heavy. The scales are tipped with prickles that are long on the tops of the cone but do not elongate on the cone side closest to the stem. Cones very persistent and do not open without the heat of fire. (Other closed cone pines do open with high heat after some years). 

You can see the color, the pitch, and the asymmetrical shape. You can also see the shape of the scales at the top of the cone, larger, verses the ones on the lower edge, more compressed. While the picture below is too close to the branch, you can also get a sense of how many cones are produced in one area.

Here is somewhat of a close up of the scales with hooks.

Bark is thin, brown to gray, with thin fissures showing some reddish color.

Misidentification:

Pinus radiata for sure. They are both 3 needle pines, with variable color leaves and asymmetrical cones, though these have cones that remain on the tree forever, and have pointed hooks on the ends of the scales. The growth habit is also very different.

Other 3 needle pines in our area:
P. attenuata, Knobcone Pine is native to the northern county and can be seen in UCSC wild areas. Cones are very different, in large clusters on the main stems and held for years.
P. canariensis, much longer softer needles, longer cones, much fuller habit but more or less the same overall shape but way full.
P. coulteri, longer bluer leaves, more stiff and dont seem to droop on the stems, not as restricted to the ends of the branches as they last 3-4 years. Much broader habit. There are some around.
P. jefferyi, the cones are different in that the prickle on the scale is curved inward and will not stick you and you will not likely see one in SC.
P. radiata,  dark green leaves, shorter and softer cones without curved hooks.

Location:

Santa Cruz

Empire Grade at the enter section with Felton Empire Rd and Ice Cream Grade. Actually they are all along Empire Grade well past UCSC.

Abies grandis - Grand Fir

The Grand fir is another uncommon sight in our warmer climate but, to a conifer lover, a welcome one. Growing up to 250' in its native range, we will likely to see them 50-60' tall by about 15-20' wide. They form a beautiful conical shape. Generally quite dense when young eventually a bit more open. You can see the one on the left is much fuller than the one on the right. Looks like a redwood if you look quickly at the foliage. This planting has two trees, right next to a redwood, and I suspect there was some confusion at planting time or when they were pulled from a nursery. Supposed to be three redwoods?

Leaves are evergreen, spirally arranged, linear, needle-like, 3/4 - 2" long, narrow, bright green upper surface, lower surface with 2 distinct white bands of stomates. The leaves on reproductive branches are very different than lower down on the tree. Those tend to form a very strong "V" shape. This feature is common to most firs and makes this characteristic useless for identification. The lower leaves form a single flat plane with the leaves spreading out sideways. 

The leaves on the top appear to be different lengths, alternating long and short.

Bands of stomates in 2 rows on the lower portion of the leaf.

Stems are yellowish-green initially, persistently smooth, with round depressions where leaves were once attached.

Female cones are found only at the top of trees. Growing 2-4" long, yellowish green or purple green when young turning brown at maturity and like all fir trees, the cones disintegrate on the tree, shedding the seeds, scales and bracts leaving behind only the thin central stalk. Bracts shorter than scales so you don't see them until they hit the ground. In this image you can see the scale on the left has its attached bract on its "back" while the one to the right is not showing a bract.

Male cones are yellow and found on the lower branches.

Bark on trees initially is smooth, gray or silver with horizontal resin blisters, becoming furrowed or flaked with age.

Misidentification:
First, determine that it's a fir and not a spruce. Once you a certain it is a fir, you have to look at how leaves are arranged on the stems and avoid the reproductive ones. Look for the presence or absence of stomatal bands on the upper surfaces, they are always on the lower surface, not the upper for this species. Look up for cones and down for cone scales and bracts.

Not at all easily. I used my trusted Pacific Coast Trees by McMinn and Maino.
Foliage is found in one plane, often called 2 ranked but I like the plane concept, or in 1 dimension. To use a key on these you have to find the resin glands with are inside the leaf, either along the margins or near the main vein. These are shallow and along the margin. To see the resin glands you need a 10X hand lens. Cut the leaf in half crosswise and then carefully squeeze the leaf with your nail while looking for where some resin comes out.

Location:

281 Pebble Beach Drive

Araucaria columnaris - Cook Pine

The Cook Pine is often encountered in our neighborhoods as a house plant gone bad, outgrowing its allocated space indoors and put into the landscape. They are very similar to the Norfolk Island pine and some references suggest that the majority of the house plants are Cook Pines and not NIP. 

These beautiful evergreen conifers are very narrow and have a curve in the stem, not sure why but they almost always do. Matt Ritter (Cal Poly SLO) says they curve lean towards the equator. Growing quite tall in their native habitat they are likely to read 40' around here. They have very short lateral branches making the tree very narrow. 

This specimen is at Cal  Poly, and seems unusually dense.

Leaves are evergreen and of multiple types. Juvenile foliage is needle-like, soft and about 1/2" long. Adult foliage is awl-like, short, stiff and sharp. The branches resemble cords. 

Female reproductive cones.

Bark is thin, and peels off in strips.

All the goodies.

Misidentification:
Many experts confuse the Cook Pine and the Norfolk Island Pine. I doubt I can tell the difference looking at the foliage. Only way I can tell is to look at the shape of the trees. They all lean. Great article with Matt Ritter in the LA times .. http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-pine-tree-20170618-story.html

Location:
Aptos

1936 Seascape Blvd. Has a really strong lean.... could be falling over?

Santa Cruz
1039 Laurent St.
602 Chestnut,  Corner of Chestnut and Locust St

Santa Cruz  - Pleasure Point
230 30th Ave.

Pinus cembrioides - Pinyon Pine

Uncommonly seen pinyon pine tree. Only one I have seen is in the parking lot of the Sesnon House on the Cabrillo Campus (GONE). The pinyons are very hard to differentiate from one another and I have based my identification on the fact that this specimen has a mixture of 2 (mostly) and 3 (a few) needles in their bundles.

The pinyon pine is a small pine, growing 15-20' in cultivation. Usually with branches to the ground, this one was lifted. Generally full canopy with an oval habit. Pinyons are very popular with wildlife.

Needles are in bundles of 2 and occasionally 3's. They are 1-2" long, stiff, pointing forward, light to medium green, with stomates on both surfaces but mostly on the upper.

This image shows 2 and 3 needles and the white stomatal bands on the upper surface (towards the inside of the bundle). Also notice that lack of the bundle sheath, they are deciduous on these pinyon pines.

Stems slightly hairy lacking bundle sheaths. Fairly stout and stiff.

Buds small, tan, slightly pointed. Stems are gray.

Cones are small, oval in shape 1-1.5", opening to reveal large oblong rounded seeds with no wings. Open cones are about 2" across.

Misidentification:
Other pinyon pines. Not sure I can tell the difference between P. cembroides and P. edulis.

Location:
Aptos
Cabrillo College Sesnon Parking lot. (Gone)

Taxus baccata 'Fastigata' - Irish Yew

The classic yew of Filoli Gardens and of the formal landscape gardens. Extremely formal, growing slowly to 30-50' by 10-15' wide. Discovered long ago in Ireland, it became known as the Irish Yew. These are pruned yearly as you might expect, while the ones in the next picture are at an arboretum and show the more natural habit. 

Leaves are evergreen, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1" long, 1/8" wide, dark green with a distinct midrib and a pointed tip, generally arched and not flat like many other yews. Lower surface is lighter green with 2 bands of stomates. Most of the foliage is spreading around the stem and the stems are upright. On stems that may be less upright the leaves may be 2 ranked.

Of course the foliage and almost all parts of yew are toxic. Interestingly, the cancer drug Taxol is produced from yew trees, originally the wester yew bark, but research found that the hybrids produced higher concentration in the foliage.

Stems are ridged, bright green. You can see the 2 bands of stomates on the lower surface.

The "fruit" is a succulent cone … the red part is called an aril, and is the only edible part of a yew. The naked seed (its a gymnosperm) is located inside the aril. Aril is about 1/2" long. 

Here is the aril squished showing the seed. The aril is sticky but edible and reported to be sweet tasting, but I have no first hand experience. 

This is a picture of the trunk and roots of a very old T. baccata in England. I think it was at Painshill Park on the Sublime walk.

Misidentification:

Hick's yew is a cultivar of the hybrid species T. x media (T. baccata X T. cuspidata) and has characteristics of both parents, not that telling the species apart is easy. The best way to tell them apart is hope that the specimens are mature, as the Hicks yew is narrower, though there are several "clones" of the Irish yew floating around so stick with the width but could be wrong. There is at least one gold cultivar as well.

Location:
Aptos
525 Baltusrol Dr.
762 Rio Del Mar Blvd.

Santa Cruz
848 Walnut Ave - really nice ones

Pinus sylvestris - Scotch Pine

I love a nice scotch pine, something about the bark and the blue green needles and their generally open canopy creates a beautiful landscape tree. The species has one of the largest natural ranges in northern europe so you are likely to see lots of variation in leaf color and growth habit. There are tons of cultivars as well. I see quite a few in our neighborhoods.

Pyramidal when young, eventually open (see above) and spreading to 50'. Color depends on seed source or cultivar. Usually with distinct reddish flaking bark. This one is a cultivar called 'Watererii'.

Needles in 2's. 2.5-4" long, stiff and twisted. Color may be very blue ranging to light grey-green.

Reproductive structures, males yellow, females red.

Cones green becoming light brown, 1-2.5" long, much longer than wide (ovoid). Scales have squarish raised umbo.

Stems greenish brown as seen above, developing into beautiful red exfoliating bark.

Many dwarf cultivars arise from mutations on the stems. Some are cause by mistletoe, others not. They are generally called witches brooms.

Misidentification:
Other 2 needle pines here:
P. cembrioides, very short needles, small tree, tiny cones with pinyon seeds.
P. controta, has very short leaves and very much smaller cones, not really common.
P. densiflora has very thin leaves and every much smaller cones as well as being clustered, less common as well.
P. halepensis has thin leaves, found on the freeways usually.
P. mugo, small shrub generally,
P. nigra, leaves dark, stiff, white buds, yellowish tan cones, 
P. pinea, leaves thicker, stiffer, look for the leaves on new shoots on this one to be laying almost flat and forward as well as being retained longer.
P. sylvestris, bluish green leaves, distinctly twisted, smaller cones, reddish bark, not common.
P. thunbergii, thicker needles, often yellowish green, very sharp and usually twisted.

Location:

Aptos
425 Ewell Drive (along with several other conifers)

Capitola
Cortez St on the corner of Saint Francis Ave.

Santa Cruz
227 Anchorage Ave

Scotts Valley
MacDorsa Park

Picea omorika - Serbian Spruce

The Serbian Spruce is a beautiful evergreen conifer with a very narrow conical growth habit with the potential to be 50-60'. Like many spruce trees it will maintain its lower branches until someone cuts them off to mow around the base. The lateral branches near the top of the tree are more ascending with weakly pendant side shoots. May have a nice bluish cast.  They look great in a grove like this see at Whistler Mt. in BC. I have seen only one here in the county but I am sure there are others.

As with all spruce trees, the leaves are linear and are attached to the stem by a stub like projection called a pulvinus. However, unlike most spruces, these  1/2 - 3/4" long leaves are flattened in cross section (most spruce leaves are easily rolled between your fingers). The tree as an overall bluish cast due to the lower surface of the leaves being very blue while the upper is greenish.

Shoots are orange brown with dark hairs as seen above.

Cones prevalent on young plants. Purple when young maturing purple-brown and usually resinous. 1.5-3" long.

One of my favorite cultivars 'Burns Pendula'.

Misidentification:
Spruce trees in general can be difficult to distinguish from one another. This is one of a few that have flatted leaves, meaning you cant roll them between your fingers.

Location:
Aptos
49 Pebble Beach Dr.
661 Pleasant Valley Ridge, all the way up and on your left. Looks like a private driveway, so be warned.