07/23/2025
DANGER !!! These will take you OUT !!!...
Local and Native !!!
Imagine a pinecone the size of a chihuahua and as heavy as a bowling ball. The coulter pine (Pinus coulteri), a conifer native to parts of North America, including California and Mexico, is the tree responsible for producing these massive pinecones, contrary to what many might assume. Esteemed by foresters and loggers, this tree has earned the ominous nickname “the widowmaker” due to tragic incidents involving people killed by its falling pinecones. Weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kg), this species produces some of the largest pinecones found anywhere on Earth.
Image: damontighe, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0