The sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) has the largest cone of the pine trees in the Sierra. It is often more than 15 inches long and 5 inches in diameter with thin, open scales. In the Northern Sierra, the sugar pine occurs at 3,500 to 6,500 feet in elevation. The tree is also found in the Southern Sierra at higher elevations, from 4,500 to 9,000 feet. The sugar pine, which can grow to 175 feet tall, is normally outnumbered by other types of pine and fir trees in the conifer belts of the Sierra. But when it is present, it can be recognized for its huge cones.
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