Whitebark Pine

Pinus albicaulis

Whitebark Pines are slow-growing, high-elevation trees that anchor mountain ecosystems. They provide food for wildlife, stabilize thin alpine soils, and mark the limits of tree life near the treeline.

Description

The Whitebark Pine is a hardy, wind-shaped tree found across the high mountains of the western United States and Canada.
Its pale bark and clustered crown make it one of the most distinctive subalpine conifers.

Whitebark Pines can be identified by their:

• Growth pattern: Often twisted or multi-stemmed, shaped by wind and snow.
• Needles: In bundles of five, short and stiff with a bluish-green tint.
• Cones: Small, round, and remain closed until opened by animals like the Clark’s Nutcracker.

Range

Grows across the Rocky Mountains, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada, typically above 7,000 feet in elevation.

Bark

• Gray and flaky, often roughened by wind exposure and cold.

Growing at the edge of the alpine treeline.

Leaves

• Bundles of five, bluish-green needles about 1½–3 inches long.

Fruit

• Cones: Round, dark purple when young, turning brown with age.
  Seeds are fat-rich and vital for birds and mammals in alpine environments.

Habitat

Whitebark Pines thrive in:

• Cold, windy mountain ridges
• Rocky or volcanic soils
• Areas with deep snowpack