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'Lodgepole Pine' (''Pinus contorta'') is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.
There are three subspecies, one of them with two varieties:

★ ''Pinus contorta'' subsp. ''contorta'' ('Shore Pine') - Pacific Coast, southern Alaska to California

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★ ''Pinus contorta'' subsp. ''contorta'' var. ''contorta'' ('Shore Pine') - Pacific Coast, Alaska to northwest California

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★ ''Pinus contorta'' subsp. ''contorta'' var. ''bolanderi'' ('Mendocino Shore Pine') - Mendocino, California Coast (Near Threatened by fires, development and overland vehicles.^[1])

★ ''Pinus contorta'' subsp. ''murrayana'' ('Tamarack Pine' or Sierra Lodgepole Pine) - Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada and adjacent mountain ranges, Washington south to northern Baja California

★ ''Pinus contorta'' subsp. ''latifolia'' ('Lodgepole Pine') - Rocky Mountains, Yukon to Colorado

This tree can be 30-40 m tall, but is often much smaller, particularly subsp. ''contorta'', while subsp. ''murrayana'' can be larger, to 50 m. The leaves are needle-like, paired and often twisted, and 3-7 cm long. The 3-7 cm cones often need exposure to high temperatures (such as from forest fires) in order to open and release their seeds, though in subsp. ''murrayana'' they open as soon as they are mature. The cones have prickles on the scales.

It is occasionally known under several English names: Black Pine, Scrub Pine, and Coast Pine. The species name ''contorta'' arises from the twisted, bent pines found in the coastal area.
Lodgepole Pine is the Provincial tree of Alberta, Canada. Lodgepole Pine will hybridise with the closely related Jack Pine.
''Pinus contorta'' is a serious invasive plant in New Zealand.

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References

External links

References

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External links

★ Lodgepole Pine at bcadventure.com

★ Lodgepole pine at Domtar Forestry corporate web site

★ Lodgepole forest page at University of Wisconsin - good pictures

★ Lodgepole pine at Virginia Tech dendrology site - good pictures

★ Beetle threat to Colorado's Lodgepole pines