How do you identify a lodgepole pine?
Lodgepole Pine Identification:
- Needles occur in pairs and are 1.2 to 2.4 inches long with sharp ends.
- Bark is thin and scaly and colored orange-brown to gray.
- Cones vary in shape from short and cylindrical to egg-shaped, 1.6 to 2.4 inches long with sharp, flat scales on the ends and often occur in clusters.
What is a lodgepole pine tree?
Lodgepole PinePinus contorta var. A handsome native pine with yellowish green to dark green needles, twisted in bundles of two. It has a long, slender, pole-like trunk with a short, narrow, cone shaped crown. The flaky, thin bark is orange brown to grey or black.
What type of tree is a lodgepole pine?
evergreen conifer tree
Pinus contorta – Lodgepole pine, an evergreen conifer tree, is the provincial tree of Alberta. The leaves are needle-like, paired and often twisted, and 3-7 cm long.
What does lodge cone pine grow on?
Soils: Lodgepole pine grows on a wide variety soils but grows best on moist, medium-textured soils derived from granitic, shale, or coarse-grained lava parent materials. Associated Species: Pinegrass, elk sedge, serviceberry, curlleaf mountain mahogany.
How long can lodgepole pines live?
The average lifespan of Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine is 150 to 200 years [37,170], though some Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine trees live more than 400 years [51,123,170,219,299].
What is the lodgepole pine used for?
Lodgepole pine is excellent for lumber, plywood, and paneling. It is used to make doors, windows and furniture, as well as railway ties, mine props and fence posts. Another variety of Pinus contorta (var. contorta), called shore pine, grows in a narrow band along the coast.
Why is it called lodgepole pine?
It forms dense, even stands after fire, and integrates with jack pine where the species overlap. The common name is derived from its use by Aboriginal people in constructing their lodges.
What eats a lodgepole pine?
Black bear, squirrels and porcupines are known to eat the cambium layer of lodgepole pine. Quite a few mammal and bird species eat the seeds, most notably red crossbills. Beetle attacked trees are targeted by woodpeckers that go after larvae.
What pine needles are poisonous to humans?
The needles of some pine trees, such as ponderosa pine, and other evergreens that are not actually pines, such as Norfolk Island pine, may be toxic to humans, livestock and other animals.
What animals eat lodgepole pine?
Squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and grouse eat the pine seeds, while deer and elk browse the tree’s twigs.
Are lodgepole pine edible?
Edible Uses It can be used fresh or dried. It is mashed into a pulp and made into cakes then baked[94].
What do animals use lodgepole pine?
Nuthatches, woodpeckers, and other birds use lodgepole pines as a source of food, probing underneath the bark to discover juicy insects. Bears sometimes eat the inner bark, which makes their fur matted and sticky.
How tall can a lodgepole pine grow to?
How to Grow Lodgepole Pine Trees Botanical Name Common Name Plant Type Mature Size. Varies depending on Subspecies 3.5 feet to 160 feet. Sun Exposure Soil Type Soil pH Bloom Time Flower Color Hardiness Zones
Is the lodgepole pine the National Tree of Alberta?
Lodgepole pine is the Provincial tree of Alberta, Canada. Pinus contorta is a serious invasive species of wilding conifer in New Zealand, along with several other western North American pine species. It is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord and is prohibited from sale, commercial propagation, and distribution.
Is there another name for lodgepole pine?
The lodgepole pine, sometimes called jack pine, spruce pine, blackjack, knotty pine, tamarack, scrubable, is a slender evergreen tree ( Pinus contorta) of pine family; grows 30 to 80 feet (9 to 24 meters); thin bark peels off in scales; leaves in twos, 2 1 / 2 inches (6 2 / 5 centimeters) long; cones oval.