Needles: Lodgepole pine is the only pine native to the Northwest with 2 needles per bundle.
Cones: The egg-shaped cones are 2 inches long and have sharp prickles on the scales. The cones often remain unopened and on the tree until exposed to fire.
Bark: The bark is dark gray and scaly with small furrows.
Where it grows: Two subspecies of Pinus contorta are common in the Northwest:
Uses: The first people who lived in the West used this pine for tepee poles (lodge poles) wherever the trees were available in the western U.S. Some traveled great distances to find suitable poles in the mountains where they grew. Lodgepole Pine is used today for posts and poles, and to build barns and other post-and-beam structures.
Names: Other common names: Tamarack Pine, Beach Pine, Scrub Pine, Sand Pine, and Knotty Pine.
© 2011 Ken Denniston