Trees of Kern County, California

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Trees of Kern County , California

by Alison M. Sheehey

This list has 127 species/subspecies listed, 80 native species, 22 subspecies, and 26 exotic. Some of the "trees" are more shrub in nature but this was a judgment call, if it is woody and can be pruned into a tree I will consider it a tree for this list.

Distribution information is from Moe/Twisselmann, expert consultation, and personal experience. Common names from Jepson, CalFlora, and Twisselmann. Scientific names names from CalFlora and Moe. Photographs from personal collection.

NOTE: I am adding photographs and new distribution information all the time. New information, photographs for the page, praise, suggestions, constructive criticism, and corrections always happily accepted, especially new range information. You will be acknowledged as a reference. My thanks to Maynard Moe and Eve Laeger for their input. I especially want to thank Terri Gallion and Wendy Rannals for sharing their knowledge and company during the many field outings it takes to find these specimens.

Scientific name	Common name (s)	Description	Habitat	Location	Kern?	Flora Kern pg #
Kingdom Plantae - Division Coniferophyta - Gymnosperms - Order Coniferales - Family Cupressasceae
Calocedrus decurrens (Torrey) Florin	Incense Cedar	20-50m tall, monoecious, cone 1.9-2.5cm	mixed evergreen forest, yellow pine forest, canyon and slope habitats. 350-2500m	Common in the Greenhorn Range, Sporadic on Kern Plateau, Tehachapi's, and San Emigdio	native	P171 K90
Cupressus arizonica Greene nevadensis (Abrams) Murray	Piute Cypress	5-25m tall, monoecious, cone 1.9-3.2cm	chaparral, oak/pine woodland, pinyon-juniper woodland. 750-1800m	very rare restricted to the Piute and Greenhorn Mtns. A Breckenridge colony was destroyed by fire	native	P171 K91
Juniperus occidentalis Hooker var. australis (Vasek) A. Holmgren	Western Juniper	3.5-9m tall, monoecious, blue juicy berry-like fruit, single trunk	Great Basin plant reaching southern limit in Kern County. Dry exposed rocky slopes	Summit and north slope Owens Peak	native	P172 K91
Juniperus californica Carrière	California Juniper	1-4m tall dioecious shrub/tree single to multiple trunks, dry red berry-like fruit	dry slopes, flats, pinyon/juniper woodlands	found only in mid to high elevation arid areas of Kern from the Temblors to the eastern Sierra	native	P172 K91
Family Pinaceae - Firs and Pines
Abies concolor (Gordon & Glendinning) Lindley	White Fir	<61m tall, rounded to pointed needles, flattish sprays, long u-curved needles, cone 7.6-12.7cm	mixed conifer to red fir forest 900-3100m	all higher elevation mountains of the county except the Temblors	native	P168 K153
Abies magnifica Murray var. shastensis Lemmon	Shasta Red Fir	<57m tall, 4-sided needles, rounded leaf tips, cone 15.25-20.32cm	upper mixed conifer to subalpine forests 1200-2800m	found only in the Sunday Peak area of the Greenhorn Range. Southernmost colony of this species	native	P168 K153
Pinus contorta Loudon ssp. murrayana (Grev. & Balf) Critchf.	lodgepole pine	<34m tall, 2-needle 7.6cm long, cone <5cm, slight cone prickles	wet meadows, cold mixed conifer forest	southern limit of range in Kern County, Small colonies found at Pine Flat & Little Cannell Meadow - Kern Plateau	native	P169 K153
Pinus flexilis James	limber pine	< 20m tall, 2.9m wide, cone 4-20cm long, 5-needle, 2.5-5cm long	normally found in Lodgepole, subalpine, bristlecone forests, none of which exist in Kern except a small colony of lodgepole.	Jim Shevock found this tree at Inspiration Point in the Piutes and on Owens Peak	native	P168 K154
Pinus jeffreyi Greville & Balfour	Jeffrey pine	< 53m tall, 2.3 m wide, cone <26 cm long, 3-needle, shiny medium cone thorns.	yellow pine forest, higher elevation mixed conifer, red fir forest, serpentine outcrops	all Kern County mountains from 450-2600m, except Temblors and desert ranges	native	P168 K153
Pinus lambertiana Douglas	sugar pine	< 70m tall, 3.3m wide, cone 15-63cm long,5-needle 6.4-10.2cm long	mixed conifer forest, yellow pine forest	common in the Greenhorns and on Breckenridge, scarce in the Tehachapi's and Piutes, rare on Owens Peak and the Kern Plateau	native	P168 K154
Pinus monophylla Torrey & Fremont	singleleaf pinyon	<15m tall, <40 cm wide, cone 3-12cm, 1-needle 2-7cm	arid mountain slopes, pinyon/juniper woodland	desert slopes of Piutes, E. Greenhorns, Pinyon/juniper woodland, desert slopes of Piutes, E. Greenhorn, S. Kern Plateau, head of Tejon Canyon	native	P169 K153
Pinus ponderosa Douglas	ponderosa pine (yellow pine)	<68m tall, 2.2m wide, cone 9-18cm, 3-needle 12-26cm long	yellow pine forest to 1850m	common to the Greenhorns and Breckenridge, uncommon relict colonies Tehachapi's and Mt. Pinos regions	native	P170 K153
Pinus sabiniana Douglas	gray pine, foothill pine	<38m tall, <2m wide, 3-needle 9-38cm long, cone 10-28cm	foothill woodland, pine/oak woodland, pinyon/juniper woodland	all foothills woodlands east of San Emigdio Range.	native	P170 K153
Pseudotsuga macrocarpa (Vasey) Mayr.	bigcone Douglas-fir	<44m tall, <2.1m wide fir life needle 2-4.5cm long, 9-20cm cone	Jeffrey pine forest	Mt. Pinos region, Mil Potreros, Tecuya Ridge w. of Ft. Tejon	native	P170 K154
Division MAGNOLIOPHYTA - angiosperms, flowering plants Class MAGNOLIOPSIDA - Dicots Subclass MAGNOLIIDAE Order LAURALES Family LAURACEAE
Umbellularia californica (Hook. & Arn.) Nuttall	California bay	<45m tall, evergreen, leaf 3-10cm long 1.5-3cm wide	Canyons chaparral, valleys, Douglas oak woodland	W. slope Breckenridge, Kern Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon Greenhorn Mtns.	native	P239 K129
Subclass HAMAMELIDAE Order HAMAMELIDALES Family PLANTANACEAE
Platanus racemosa Nuttall	California sycamore	10-35m tall, <1m wide, leaf lobes 3-5	<2000m, below yellow pine forest along streams	Mtn. streams, Kern River to Bakersfield	native	P255 K154
Platanus racemosa var. wrightii (S. Watson) L. Benson	Arizona sycamore	deciduous
Order URTICALES Family ULMACEAE
Celtis reticulata Torrey	net-leaf hackberry	1-8m tall, deciduous	500-1700m, uncommon canyons, seeps, washes	Caliente Canyon 3 mi above Caliente, Democrat Hot Springs	native	P214 K217
Ulmus minor Miller	English elm	<10m tall, deciduous	waste places, canyons	Wasco, Bakersfield	exotic	P214 K217
Ulmus parvifolia Jacquin	Chinese elm	<8m tall, deciduous	waste places, washes, ranchlands	occasional Bakersfield	exotic	P214 K217
Ulmus pumila L.	Siberian elm	<10m tall, deciduous	waste places, roadsides, washes	Kernville, Mojave, Rosamond	exotic	P214 K217
Family MORACEAE
Ficus carica L.	edible fig, white fig	shrub/ tree, <10m tall, deciduous	moist disturbed places, old habitations <800m, springs canyons	Kern River, Buena Vista Valley, Oiler Canyon, Caliente Canyon, Greenhorn	exotic	P210 K142
Maclura pomifera (Raf.) C. Schneider	Osage orange	<10m tall, deciduous	disturbed areas, abandoned windbreaks, alkali plains	E. of Kern Lake	exotic	P211 K142
Morus alba L.	white mulberry	10-15m, deciduous	disturbed areas, moist soil, stream banks	Kern River	exotic	P211 K143
Order JUGLANDALES Family JUGLANDACEAE
Juglans californica S. Watson	California black walnut	<25m, deciduous		most likely planted by indigenous people	native /cult.	P210 K124
Juglans californica S. Watson var. hindsii Jepson	Northern California black walnut	15-25m, deciduous	canyons, valleys 50-200m	Glennville Rd. 0.4mi. E. of Woody, cienega below Ft. Tejon, SJV	native /cult.	P210 K124
Order FAGALES Family FAGACEAE
Chrysolepis sempervirens (Kellogg) Hjelmq.	Chinquapin	<<3m shrub, evergreen	rocky slopes, coniferous forest, chaparral, 700-3300m	high elevation Greenhorns, Kern Plateau, Piute Mtns, Breckenridge, Sunday Peak	native	P211 K113
Quercus Xalvordiana Eastwood	Alvord's oak	<3m, shrub/tree, evergreen	dry slopes, hills	Temblors, San Emigdio	native	P211 K113
Quercus agrifolia Neé	coast live oak	10-25m, evergreen	valleys, slopes, mixed-evergreen woodland <1500m	Chico Martinez Canyon, Temblor Range, Drake Ridge, Bill Little Spring	native	P211 K113
Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia Neé	California live oak	10-25m, evergreen	<900m, coast range	Chico Martinez Canyon, Temblor Range, Drake Ridge, Bill Little Spring	native	P211 K113
Quercus berberidifolia Liebmann	scrub oak	shrub, 1-3m, evergreen	dry slopes, chaparral, 300-1500m	occasional Tehachapi and San Emigdio Ranges	native	P212 K113
Quercus chrysolepis Liebmann	maul oak, canyon live oak	<20m, evergreen, acorn cup 17-30mm wide, 5-10mm deep, nut 25-30mm long, 14-20mm wide	canyons, shaded slopes, chaparral, mixed evergreen forest, woodland, 200-2600m	desert facing canyons, E. slope Mtns, Tehachapi, Rising Canyon NE of Lebec	native	P211 K113
Quercus chrysolepis var. nana (Jepson) Jepson	canyon live oak	shrubs, evergreen, leaves 2-4cm	exposed high ridges	black mountain, greenhorn, RAM rock , Kern plateau	native
Quercus douglasii Hooker and Arnott	blue oak	tree, 6-20m, deciduous	cismontane foothills, middle elevation woodlands	Temblors, Tehachapi canyons, Glennville, jawbone canyon, Westside Kelso valley	native	P211 K113
Quercus garryana Hooker	Oregon oak	tree, 18-20m, deciduous	slopes, Woodland, mixed evergreen, conifer forests, 300-1,800m	Sierra Nevada forest, Tehachapi, ne Western Transverse range, Liebre mountain	native	P212 K113
Quercus garryana var. breweri (Engelmann) Jepson	shin oak	shrub, 1-5m, deciduous	slopes, mixed evergreen, conifer forest, 600-1,800m	common below yellow pine forest, Glenville to northeast of Lebec	native	P212 K113
Quercus john-tuckeri K. Nixon and C. H. Muller	Tucker's oak	shrub, 2-5m, up to 7m	desert borders, chaparral, Pinyon juniper Woodland, 900 to 2,000m	arid slopes Tehachapi, Cache Peak , Weldon pond, pine tree canyon	native	P213 K113
Quercus kelloggii Newberry	California black oak	deciduous	slopes, valleys, Woodlands, conifers forest, 200-2,400m	lower levels of yellow pine forest	native	P212 K113
Quercus lobata Neé	valley oak	deciduous	slopes, valleys, savannah	Glenville, Tehachapi, Lebec, Cameron canyon, temblors - white oak spring, Agua Media Canyon	native	P211 K113
Quercus wislizenii A. DC.	interior live oak	evergreen	interior canyons, slopes, valleys, chaparral, pine / oak Woodland, <2,000m		native
Quercus wislizenii var. frutescens Engelmann	interior scrub oak	shrub, 2-6m, evergreen	chaparral, 300 to 2,000m	Tehachapi, south coast range	native	P211 K113
Quercus wislizenii var. wislizenii A. DC.	interior live oak	tree, 10-22m, evergreen	canyons, slopes, pine/oak Woodland , <1,600m	transverse, south coast range, Sierra Nevada forest	native
Lithocarpus densiflorus (Hooker & Arnott) Rehder.	tan oak	<30 (45) m, evergreen	red fir forest
Lithocarpus densiflorus var. densiflorus (Hooker & Arnott) Rehder.	tanoak	tree, <30 (45) m, evergreen	red fir forest <1500m	Sierra Nevada, coast range, western transverse range
Lithocarpus densiflorus var. echinoides (A. Br. Campst.) Abrams	Tanoak shrub	shrub, 1-3m tall, evergreen	red fir forests, mixed conifer forest, 600-2,000m	Sierra Nevada
Family BETULACEAE
Alnus rhombifolia Nuttall	white alder	tree, <35m, deciduous	Douglas oak Woodland to red fir forest	along permanent streams, south to El Paso creek, Kern River by lake Ming isolated colony	native	P210 K59
Subclass DILLENIIDAE Order VIOLALES Family TAMARICACEAE
Tamarix aphylla (L.) Karsten	Athel tree	tree, <12m	washes, roadsides, <200m	Poso creek by Blankenship Rd, n Wasco, old homesteads, camps, oil fields	exotic	P285 K216
Tamarix gallica L.	French tamarisk	shrub/tree, <8m	washes, flats, roadsides, <300m		exotic
Tamarix parviflora DC	Fourstamen tamarisk	shrub/tree, 1.5-5m	washes, slopes, sand dunes, roadsides, <800m	wet places Mojave, Rosamond dry lake, north temblors	exotic	P285 K216
Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.	salt cedar	shrubs/tree, <8m	washes, stream banks, ditches, <800m	Castac lake, Kern National Wildlife Refuge	exotic	P285 K216
Order SALICALES Family SALICACEAE
Populus angustifolia James	narrow-leaved cottonwood	tree, <15m, deciduous, dioecious	stream sides, 1,200 -1,800m	Kern river above Kernville	native	P208 K200
Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa (Torrey & A. Gray) Brayshaw	black cottonwood	tree, <30m, deciduous	alluvial bottom lands, streams sides, <2,800m, Douglas oak Woodlands	Rosamond dry lake, temblor ranch	native	P208 K202
Populus fremontii ssp. fremontii S. Watson	Fremont Cottonwood	tree, <20m	alluvial bottom lands, streams sides, <2,000m	Tejon Canyon, El Paso Canyon, Bull Run Creek, Greenhorn	native	P208 K202
Salix alba L..	white willow	tree, <25m	disturbed places, near settlements, <1,000m		exotic
Salix babylonica L.	weeping willow	tree, <20m	disturbed soils near settlements, <1,000m		exotic
Salix bebbiana Sarg.	Bebb willow	shrub/tree, <10m	streams, lake shores, 1200-1400m, in cultivation	not native to Kern County	from N. CA
Salix exigua (includes hindsiana) Nuttall	sandbar willow	shrub, <7m	streamside, marshes, wet ditches, <2700m	Poso Creek NE Wasco, Occasional to common in sunny wet places, cismontane, yellow pine springs	native	P290 K203
Salix geyeriana Anderson var. argentea (Bebb) C.K. Schneider	silver willow	Shrub, <5m	subalpine streams, meadows, 1450-3600m	common, Cannell Creek, SW Pine Flat Kern Plateau	native	P209 K203
Salix gooddingii C. Ball	Goodding's black willow	tree, <30m, dioecious	streamside, marshes, seepage areas, washes, meadows, <500m		native	P209 K203
Salix laevigata Bebb	red willow	tree, <15m, dioecious	riverbanks, seepage areas, lake shores, canyons, ditches, 0-1700m	common, SJV wet places, rare Rosamond Lake, seep El Paso Range, 1.5m E. of Last Chance Canyon	native	P209 K203
Salix lasiolepis Bentham	arroyo willow	tree, <10m, dioecious	shores, marshes, meadows, springs, bluffs, <2800m	common, foothills to yellow pine forest, E. Erskine Creek, Temblors, Claraville meadow, Indian Wells Canyon, Kern Plateau	native	P209 K203
Salix lemmonii Bebb	Lemmon's willow	shrub, <4m, dioecious	streams, wet meadows, burned over subalpine forests, 1400-3500m	spring 7200ft Bartolas Country	native	P209 K203
Salix lucida Muhlenb.	shining willow	tree, <10m, dioecious			native
Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra (Benth.) E. Murray	shining willow	tree, <10m, dioecious	wet meadows, shores, seepage areas, foothills	wet places Mtns to El Paso Canyon, Tehachapi east to Spanish Needle Creek n. Walker Pass, N. Fork Kern	native	P209 K203
Salix lutea Nuttall	Yellow willow	small shrub/tree <7m, dioecious	creek margins, wet meadows, 900-3100m	sandy flat upper Bartolas Creek	native	P210 K203
Salix melanopsis Nuttall	dusky willow	shrub, <4m, dioecious	stream banks, often among rocks, 800-2700m	Kern River above Lake Isabella, Cache Creek above Monolith in Tehachapi	native	P210 K204
Salix scouleriana Barratt	Scouler's willow	shrub/slender tree, <10m, dioecious	dry to moist forests, meadows, springs, shaded moist places	north slopes Ponderosa pine forest in Greenhorns and Breckenridge	native	P210 K205
Order ERICALES Family ERICACEAE
Arctostaphylos glauca Lindley	big-berry manzanita	shrub-like tree, 2-8+m, evergreen	rocky slopes, chaparral, woodlands	occ. San Emigdio - Mil Potreros to Canyon de los Gatos Montes se slopes, Tehachapi's Bear Trap Canyon, Temblors, Mesa Ridge	native	P301 K99
Arctostaphylos pungens Kunth	Mexican manzanita	shrub, 1-3m, evergreen	rocky slopes, ridges, coniferous forest, chaparral through Jeffrey pine forest	Mt. Pinos region, E. slope Tehachapi Mtns.	native	P301 K100
Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. mariposa (Dudley) P. Wells	Mariposa manzanita	evergreen	rocky slopes, chaparral, woodlands, woodland, 600-1850m	SN	native	P301 K102
Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida C. Parry	smooth white-leaf manzanita	shrub/tree, 1-5+m, evergreen	chaparral, coniferous forest, rocky slopes, woodland, 150-1500m	scarce in higher elevations Douglas oak woodland, rare in Ponderosa pines Greenhorn, Tollgate Ridge Tehachapi	native	P301 K103
Rhododendron occidentale (Torrey & Gray) A. Gray	western azalea	shrub, <5m, deciduous	stream banks, seeps, coniferous forests, <2200m	Cane Springs Greenhorn range	native	P302 K100
Subclass ROSIDAE Order ROSALES Family ROSACEAE
Prunus andersonii A. Gray	desert peach	shrub <2m, deciduous	rocky slopes, flats, coniferous forest, 900-2600m	pinyon woodland Horse Canyon, Short Canyon, Canebrake Creek, E. Walker Pass Station, Bath House Canyon Kernville	native	P257 K200
Prunus emarginata (Hook.) Walp.	bitter cherry	shrub/tree, 1-10m, deciduous	rocky slopes, canyons, chaparral, mixed-evergreen, coniferous forests	high Tehachapi summit ridges	native	P257 K200
Prunus fasciculata (Torrey) A. Gray	desert almond	shrub, 1-2m	slopes, canyons, washes, shrub land, woodland, <2200m	upper Jawbone Canyon, Pine Tree Canyon 1mi. E. of Onyx	native	P258 K200
Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt.) Walp.	holly-leaf cherry	shrub/tree <15m, deciduous	canyons, slopes, shrub land, woodland	Mt. Abel chaparral, Temblor Canyon	native	P258 K200
Prunus subcordata Benth.	Sierra plum	shrub/tree, <8m, deciduous	mixed evergreen, coniferous forest	occ. Greenhorn, scarce Black Bob Canyon, San Emigdio, Glennville	native	P258 K200
Prunus virginiana L. var. demissa (Nutt.) Torrey	western choke cherry	shrub/small tree, <6m, deciduous	rocky slopes, canyons, scrubland, oak/pine woodland, coniferous forest, 100-2900m	occ. Mtns. Douglas oak woodland to Jeffrey pine forest, scarce San Emigdio, Rock Spring in McLean Canyon Temblors	native	P257 K200
Adenostoma fasciculatum Hooker & Arnott	chamise	shrub, <4m, evergreen	chaparral, Douglas oak woodland	Caliente, back canyons to east slope of extreme SW Tehachapi	native	P257 K200
Adenostoma fasciculatum var. obtusifolium S. Watson	San Diego chamise				native
Cercocarpus betuloides Torrey & A. Gray	Mountain mahogany	shrub/tree, 2-8m, evergreen	chaparral, Douglas oak woodland	abundant following burns, Greenhorns	native	P255 K198
Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides Torrey & A. Gray	birch-leaf mountain-mahogany