Needles in Clusters of 3:

California Coulter {Pinus coulteri}; distinct horizontal spreading branches with upturned ends, & a short, stout trunk, Needles are stiff, dark bluish green, 5-12″ long, clusters of 3

Grey Pine {Pinus sabiniana};  clusters of 3, distinctively pale gray-green, drooping needles; pinecones ~ 1 foot long & spiked

Jeffrey Pine {Pinus jeffreyi}; Bark yellow-brown to cinnamon, thick, deeply furrowed & cross-checked, forming large irregular scaly plates, with odor of lemon & vanilla during the growing season.

Loblolly Pine {Pinus taeda}; yellow-green needles 6 to 9 inches long (USUALLY 3 per cluster)

Note:  Natural hybrids occur where its range overlaps with that of Pinus coulteri, such as in the Laguna, Jan Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains of California, producing cones with intermediate characteristics. Hybrids with P. ponderosa also occur where the species’ ranges overlap, and are hard to identify due to the two species’ generally similar appearances (Lanner 1999).

Sources:

On {Pinus Jeffreyi}:  http://conifers.org/pi/Pinus_jeffreyi.php

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