Lodgepole Pine

Pinus contorta (var. latifolia)

Why This Page Is Under Construction

This Lodgepole Pine entry is currently a placeholder, awaiting confirmed field photographs. The original images once thought to represent this species were later determined to be Austrian Pine.

New photos will be added once a verified Lodgepole Pine is located in the wild or in an experimental plot. Until then, this page remains in development, with temporary images and descriptive structure preserved to maintain continuity in the Trees index.

A young Lodgepole Pine showing its narrow, upright crown — a form that contrasts with the broader silhouettes of Red or Jack Pine.

Lodgepole Pine in Open Meadow
A narrow silhouette rising beneath a storm-heavy sky.
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This young Lodgepole Pine stands with its characteristic slender form and upward-reaching branches. The dense, fine needles gather light even under an overcast sky, while clusters of small cones hint at the species’ fire-adapted origins in the western mountains.

Description

The Lodgepole Pine is a slender, straight-trunked conifer native to the western mountains of North America. Though common in the Rockies and Pacific Northwest, it is only occasionally planted in the upper Midwest in research plots, soil restoration work, windbreaks, and ornamental plantings.

Cones Held in the Needles
Fine paired needles and tightly clustered cones typical of the species.
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A dense sweep of paired needles cradles the Lodgepole’s small, ovate cones, many of which remain sealed for years. This branch captures the layered texture of resin, bark, and fine foliage—an intricate structure evolved to endure harsh climates and recurring fire. Lodgepole Pines can be identified by their:

• Needles: 1.5–3 inches long, in pairs, fine and often straight
• Cones: Small, egg-shaped, and often persistent — some remain sealed for years in fire-adapted varieties
• Growth habit: A tall, narrow crown with closely spaced branches in youth

Bark

Lodgepole Pine — Trunk and Lower Branches
Where the straight trunk meets a tangle of shaded limbs.
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The lower canopy shows the Lodgepole Pine’s characteristic form: a narrow gray trunk wrapped in small, scaly plates, surrounded by long paired needles and clusters of persistent cones. Beneath the crown, the shaded branches thin out, leaving a textured pattern of twigs and bark above the grass. Older trees may develop slightly thicker plates but never the deep reddish blocks typical of Red Pine.

Thin, scaly, and gray-brown — the bark offers little insulation from fire, which is why the species relies on its cones rather than thick bark for post-fire regeneration.

Leaves

Needle length varies in cultivated trees outside the species’ main range, and planted individuals may sometimes show slightly longer foliage than wild populations. Needles tend to be stiffer and straighter than those of Jack Pine, and the paired bundles are usually evenly ranked around the twig.

Lodgepole Pine — Needle Nodes
New needles pushing through resin and bud scale.
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A close view of the needle clusters reveals the Lodgepole Pine’s distinctive growth: tight bundles emerging from resin-brightened nodes, framed by persistent cones below. Even in soft light, the textures of bark, resin, and green capture the character of this slender western pine.

• Needles in pairs, slender and straight
• Often brighter green than Red Pine
• Lack the twisting seen in Jack Pine needles

Fruit

Cones often remain attached for multiple years, giving branches a layered, time-marked appearance.

• Cones: Small, ovate, 1–2 inches long
• Many are serotinous, opening only after heat exposure
• Persist for years on the branches, forming dense clusters

Fine, straight needles cluster densely around small, egg-shaped cones that cling for several seasons — a trait of this fire-adapted species. During low to moderate fires, these tight bundles of needles can partly shield the cones from direct flame, reducing heat exposure and slowing heat transfer to the scale resin. After the fire passes, accumulated warmth softens the resin, the cones open, and seeds fall onto freshly cleared, nutrient-rich soil.

Habitat

Even when planted outside its natural range, Lodgepole Pine readily establishes in open, disturbed ground or sandy meadows — much like the site shown here. It thrives in:

• Dry, rocky mountain soils
• Poor sandy soils
• Open sun and wind-exposed slopes
• Fire-shaped ecosystems

Range

Native to the western United States and Canada — the Rockies, Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and interior British Columbia. Outside its home range, it appears in experimental forests, conservation plantings, arboretums, and occasionally private landscapes.

References

• National Audubon Society: Trees of North America (2021)
• Personal field notes (2025)