Common Trees of the Lake Tahoe Basin

The following is a list of the more common trees found within the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Jeffrey Pine This 3-needled pine is the most common tree in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Its bark is distinctive from all other pines because of strong resins that give the bark a vanilla or pineapple odor.

Ponderosa Pine This tree is very similar to the Jeffrey Pine but not as common to the area. One way to tell the two apart is by their cones. The cones on the Ponderosa have prickles that stick out and make the cone difficult to hold. The Jeffrey's cones have prickles that point inward. A good way to remember the difference is "prickly Ponderosa" and "gentle Jeffrey."

White Fir The White Fir is the second most common tree in Lake Tahoe. Old trees make excellent wildlife refuges because of large cavities that often form in White Fir. The short, flat needles give the White Fir a silverish or whitish cast and thus the name.

Quaking Aspen The tree derives its name from vertically flattened leaf stems that quiver with just the slightest breeze. In autumn, the Aspen cloaks Tahoe Basin in a golden-yellow blaze of color. The Aspen is also a favorite food with the resident beaver population.

Note: Pictures will be added in the future.

This web site is maintained by Heather Babcock (heatherb@sierra.net),
Tahoe Center for a Sustainable Future.

Jeffrey Pine	This 3-needled pine is the most common tree in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Its bark is distinctive from all other pines because of strong resins that give the bark a vanilla or pineapple odor.
Ponderosa Pine	This tree is very similar to the Jeffrey Pine but not as common to the area. One way to tell the two apart is by their cones. The cones on the Ponderosa have prickles that stick out and make the cone difficult to hold. The Jeffrey's cones have prickles that point inward. A good way to remember the difference is "prickly Ponderosa" and "gentle Jeffrey."
White Fir	The White Fir is the second most common tree in Lake Tahoe. Old trees make excellent wildlife refuges because of large cavities that often form in White Fir. The short, flat needles give the White Fir a silverish or whitish cast and thus the name.
Quaking Aspen	The tree derives its name from vertically flattened leaf stems that quiver with just the slightest breeze. In autumn, the Aspen cloaks Tahoe Basin in a golden-yellow blaze of color. The Aspen is also a favorite food with the resident beaver population.