Pinaceae FAMILY Near Threatened

Pseudotsuga macrocarpa

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree

Growth—

Pseudotsuga macrocarpa grows in southern California, where the climate is warm temperate, with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. The(annual precipitation ranges from 500 - 1,500mm, with snow occurring only at the higher elevations^[1]. Pseudotsuga macrocarpa is perfectly suitable for amenity planting and as a specimen tree in gardens and parks in milder climates, but rarely seen outside specialist collections in arboreta and botanic gardens. It grows to a well-shaped, medium sized tree with attractive, large, pendulous seed cones and is worth being introduced and planted more often; obviously in regions with a suitable climate, such as southern Europe, or perhaps New Zealand and parts of Australia^[1].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in the autumn to winter in a cold frame so that it is stratified^[2]. The seed can also be stored dry and sown in late winter. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Seedlings tolerate light shade for their first few years of growth. Cones often fall from the tree with their seed still inside^[2]. If you have plenty of seed then it can be sown in an outdoor seedbed in early spring^[2]. Grow the plants on for at least two years in the seedbed before planting them out in late autumn or early spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Pseudotsuga+macrocarpa>

Pollinators

Wind

References

[1]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
[2]Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. — McMillan-Browse. P. · Grower Books · 1985 · ISBN 0-901361-21-6 ↩︎Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
[3]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
[4]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.