Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), an evergreen pine, can be either a tall upright tree or shrub. The trunk has scaly bark and reaches 2-34 meters in height at maturity. There are two needles per bundle, and needles are 2.5-6.8 centimeters long, with a persistent sheath at the base of the bundle. The seed cone is less than 6 centimeters long and is angled, with knobs at the tip of the scales. Adapted to fire, populations of lodgepole self-thin as they regenerate after a fire. Fire is required for the cones to release their seeds. The CPP four letter code for this species is PICO.
This species is currently being monitored at Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Download the USA-NPN datasheet for Pinus contorta here.
Download the CPP species profile for Pinus contorta here.
For additional information about this species, visit these pages:
