Safety note: Cones can weigh up to 11 pounds with sharp spines — falling cones pose a real injury risk; avoid standing under trees in wind.
Coulter Pine produces the heaviest cones of any pine tree in the world — massive, spiky structures that can weigh up to 11 pounds and measure 16 inches long. They are sometimes called 'widow-maker' cones for the danger they pose when falling. The cones are armed with formidable curved claws, each up to 2 inches long. The trees grow on dry, rocky slopes in Southern California's chaparral and coastal mountain ranges, often on hot, south-facing slopes where other large conifers cannot survive.
Habitat
Dry, rocky slopes, chaparral margins, and coastal mountains of southern and central California, from 3,000 to 7,000 feet.
Diet
Massive seeds consumed by Steller's jays, scrub-jays, black bears, and small mammals; seeds require strong bills or beaks to access.
How common
Uncommon
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