Pinus coulteri (Coulter's Pine)

The Coulter Pine is a native of southern California's coastal mountains and northern Baja California. The species is named after Irish botanist and physician Thomas Coulter. The tree may grow to be 80 to 118 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 3 feet. The trunk is upright, with horizontal to upcurved branches. The needle-like leaves come in three-leaf bundles, are waxy pale gray-green, long and sturdy, and thick. The enormous, spiny cones, which are 8-16 inches long and weigh 2-5 kg when fresh, are the tree's most notable feature. The biggest cones of any pine tree species are produced by Coulter Pines. Locals have given the cones the moniker "widowmakers" because of their enormous size.