LODGEPOLE PINE
pinus contorta

• there are a couple of varieties of this tree known as Black Pine, Scrub Pine, Shore Pine, Coast Pine
• is British Columbia's only native two-needled conifer
• is the most widespread tree in the province
• along the treeline and the Pacific Coast, the tree is often contorted and shrubby hence the name Pinus Contorta
• is susceptible to mountain pine beetle attacks, mistletoe, rusts and root rot

UNIQUE FEATURES:

• the cones need extreme heat (eg from a forest fire) to open and release the seeds
• cones can remain on the branches for many years
• the trees provides food for small mammals which feed on the inner bark

LOCATION:

• is found throughout most of the province
• occurs from the coastal to subalpine sites
• can grow in all sorts of environments; from water-logged bogs to dry sandy soils

SIZE:

• tall and slender

CONES/FRUIT:

• vary in shape; short and cylindrical to egg-shaped
• 2 to 4 cm
• scales has sharp prickles on the ends
• covered with seal of pitch

NEEDLES:

• occur in pairs
• are long and green with sharp ends

BARK:

• thin, scaly
• orangey-brown to grey

WOOD CHARACTERISTICS:

• is a soft wood but excellent for a variety of uses

USES:

• modern - plywood, paneling, furniture, doors, windows, fence posts, railway ties
• traditional - wood: building poles; inner bark: strips of this were eaten fresh in spring or stored, mashed to make bread; pitch: as a base for medicines, poultices, chewed to relieve sore throats; needles: tea

QUICK/EASY ID (indentification) for LODGEPOLE PINE

• cones: pokey, prickly, pitchy
• needles: pointed, paired
• bark: patchy
• general: pioneer species (first to grow after a disturbance such as a fire)