California has a lot of pine trees (Oakland, Berkeley: live, title)

[yearinvermont]

California is one of my favorite states in the country. It has pretty much everything: the ocean, mountains, the beach, rivers, lakes, the desert, and even its own sea. The only shortcoming is that while there are a lot of pine trees, there aren't many deciduous trees like they have on the east coast. I lived on a mountain in southern California and it was pretty much all pine trees and basically nothing else. When I drove up to Northern California, including Yosemite, there were just more pine trees. Even the redwoods were basically pine trees. I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed how many pine trees there are in California, and if they get tired of only having pine trees and not enough trees that are leaved trees.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by yearinvermont

California is one of my favorite states in the country. It has pretty much everything: the ocean, mountains, the beach, rivers, lakes, the desert, and even its own sea. The only shortcoming is that while there are a lot of pine trees, there aren't many deciduous trees like they have on the east coast. I lived on a mountain in southern California and it was pretty much all pine trees and basically nothing else. When I drove up to Northern California, including Yosemite, there were just more pine trees. Even the redwoods were basically pine trees. I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed how many pine trees there are in California, and if they get tired of only having pine trees and not enough trees that are leaved trees.

Certain types of pines tend to grow at a higher altitude, which is why you saw pines where you did. If you hang out at around sea level, you'll see deciduous trees. Berkeley is full of beautiful very leafy tree-lined streets in the residential areas, and Oakland is full of ... well, oaks. lol You need to spend more time at or near sea level to see the type of trees you like.

[AlongTheI-5]

This reminds me of a song from the Canadian rock band Rush.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by yearinvermont

California is one of my favorite states in the country. It has pretty much everything: the ocean, mountains, the beach, rivers, lakes, the desert, and even its own sea. The only shortcoming is that while there are a lot of pine trees, there aren't many deciduous trees like they have on the east coast. I lived on a mountain in southern California and it was pretty much all pine trees and basically nothing else. When I drove up to Northern California, including Yosemite, there were just more pine trees. Even the redwoods were basically pine trees. I'm just wondering if anyone else noticed how many pine trees there are in California, and if they get tired of only having pine trees and not enough trees that are leaved trees.

The East Coast mountains are lower so they have the varieties the West does not. Uniquely the Smoky Mountains have more varieties of trees than all of Europe.

The CA Mountains are beautiful in their own way and hiking in them can be fun. The lower levels in CA, as noted, do have more types of trees but still nothing like the Smoky Mountains in the Southern US.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Mostly open in S Cal but the rest is a lot of riparian.

[TheFlats]

I think the Oak studded hills of the Western Sierra are beautiful, driving Highway 49 that runs through those hills (Gold Country) is a great way to experience this. Also, there's some beautiful Aspen in the Eastern Sierra and even though they are confined to a small area, Joshua Trees are out of this world.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by yearinvermont

I'm just wondering if...they get tired of only having pine trees and not enough trees that are leaved trees.

No, natives for the most part don't feel this way. You yourself feel the lack of deciduous trees because you come from an area where they are a prominent feature, but people who have always lived in the West generally like the way it looks.

[OwlKaMyst]

Redwoods are basically pine trees, that's funny. Redwoods have some very unique characteristics that make them quite different than pine trees.
Are you trying to say that California is full of evergreens perhaps?

You say you drove Northern California. Did you drive 101 through Mendocino and Humboldt?
Yes there are redwoods and we have fir trees, and our unique Madrone trees. Not too many pine trees. There are cedar trees in some parts as well. And a viariaty of different types of oak trees as well.

The east coast has thier wonderful color changing trees in the fall, west coast is under super tall canopies of evergreens year round.... Diversity is a beautiful thing.

[NextStage]

Originally Posted by saibot

No, natives for the most part don't feel this way. You yourself feel the lack of deciduous trees because you come from an area where they are a prominent feature, but people who have always lived in the West generally like the way it looks.

This is so true for me. When I read the title of the post my first thought was "Yes. They're beautiful, aren't they?"

[evening sun]

Chico has plenty of oak trees. I like California just the way it is ( for Nature )