Native Trees - Nevada County

At least 65 trees are native to Nevada County. Nevada County's native trees are described below.¹

Beech Family

Tanoak is found on slopes in yellow pine forest and red fir forest below 8,000 feet. Inland scrub oak is found in chaparral between 900 and 5,000 feet. Canyon live oak is found in canyons and on slopes in foothill woodland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, red fir forest, and lodgepole pine forest below 6,500 feet. Blue oak is found in foothill woodland below 3,500 feet. Oregon oak is found on slopes in chaparral, yellow pine forest, and red fir forest between 900 and 5,900 feet. California black oak is found in yellow pine forest below 7,000 feet. Valley oak is found on slopes in foothill woodland below 2,000 feet. Interior live oak is found in foothill woodland and chaparral below 6,600 feet.

Gray alder is found in wetlands in yellow pine forest, red fir forest, and riparian forest between 4,500 and 8,000 feet. White alder is found on streambanks and in wetlands in foothill woodland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest below 5,000 feet.

Incense cedar is found in canyons and on slopes in yellow pine forest between 2,400 and 8,200 feet. It tolerates serpentine. MacNab cypress is found on slopes in foothill woodland and chaparral. It tolerates serpentine. Western juniper is found in yellow pine forest, red fir forest, and lodgepole pine forest between 300 and 10,500 feet.

Brown dogwood is found in wetlands in foothill woodland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest below 5,000 feet. Miners' dogwood is found on streambanks in yellow pine forest and riparian forest below 5,000 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Pacific madrone is found in canyons and on slopes in foothill woodland below 5,000 feet. Sticky whiteleaf manzanita is found on slopes in foothill woodland, chaparral, and yellow pine forest below 6,000 feet. Western azalea is found on streambanks in riparian forest below 7,500 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands.

California bay laurel is found in canyons in foothill woodland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest below 5,000 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Western redbud is found in canyons and on slopes in foothill woodland and chaparral below 4,000 feet.

White fir is found in yellow pine forest, red fir forest, and lodgepole pine forest below 10,000 feet. California red fir is found in red fir forest between 3,900 and 9,500 feet. Whitebark pine is found in subalpine forest between 7,000 and 12,000 feet. Knobcone pine is found in foothill woodland and chaparral below 4,000 feet. It tolerates serpentine. Lodgepole pine is found in riparian forest below 11,500 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands. Jeffrey pine is found in yellow pine forest and red fir forest between 6,000 and 9,500 feet. It tolerates serpentine. Sugar pine is found on slopes in yellow pine forest and red fir forest below 9,000 feet. Western white pine is found in red fir forest, lodgepole pine forest, and subalpine forest between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. Western yellow pine is found in yellow pine forest between 3,000 and 7,500 feet. California foothill pine is found in foothill woodland below 4,500 feet. It tolerates serpentine. Douglas fir is found in yellow pine forest below 5,000 feet. Mountain hemlock is found on slopes in subalpine forest between 6,000 and 11,000 feet.

Birchleaf mountain mahogany is found on slopes in chaparral and yellow pine forest below 8,200 feet. Desert mountain mahogany is found on slopes in yellow pine forest, red fir forest, lodgepole pine forest, subalpine forest, and sagebrush scrub between 3,900 and 10,500 feet. Desert peach is found on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range between 2,900 and 8,600 feet. Bitter cherry is found in canyons and on slopes and ridges in chaparral, yellow pine forest, and red fir forest below 9,000 feet. Klamath plum is found on slopes in yellow pine forest below 6,000 feet. Chokecherry is found on slopes in foothill woodland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest below 8,200 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Rocky Mountain maple is found in canyons and on slopes in yellow pine forest, red fir forest, lodgepole pine forest, and riparian forest between 4,900 and 9,200 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands. Bigleaf maple is found on streambanks and in canyons in foothill woodland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, and riparian forest below 6,000 feet. It is equally likely to grow in wetlands or non-wetlands. California buckeye is found in canyons and on slopes in foothill woodland below 4,000 feet.