General: Tree, mostly to 30 m tall, but up to 40 m; var. latifolia mostly straight and columnar with narrow rounded crown, var. contorta often somewhat contorted and even bonsai-like; bark reddish-brown to blackish, cracked at the base and somewhat flaky above, furrowed and thicker in var. contorta.
Leaves: Needles in groups of two, usually curved and slightly twisted, 2-7 cm long; deep green in var. contorta, yellowish-green in var. latifolia.
Cones: Seed cones egg-shaped, lopsided, 3-6 cm long; stiff bracts with armed tips; serotinous; cones point backwards on twig in var. contorta, outward in var. latifolia; pollen cones reddish-green in clusters at tips of branches.
Notes: See above re hybridization with P. banksiana. Two varieties are generally recognized in BC.
1. Trees usually with rounded crown, rarely over 15 m tall; bark dark brown to greyish-black, 2-2.5 cm thick on older trees; needles deep green; coastal............... var. contorta (shore pine)
1. Trees usually columnar when close together, 20-40 m tall; bark reddish-brown, very thin, rarely over 1 cm thick; needles yellowish-green; inland..................... var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Wats. (lodgepole pine)
2. Needles in bundles of 3, 12-20 cm long..........................Pinus ponderosa
2. Needles generally in bundles of 2, 2-6 cm long.
3. Cones spreading at right angles or reflexed, the scales armed with prickles...............................Pinus controta (2 varieties)
3. Cones directed towards the apex of the shoot, strongly incurved or divergent, the scales unarmed or armed with minute prickles..................Pinus banksiana
1. Needles usually 5 in a bundle.
4. Cones long-stalked, 15-25 cm long, 6-9 cm thick at maturity; cone scales thin and flexible; seeds prominently winged..........................Pinus monticola 4. Cones sessile or subsessile, 5-25 cm long, cone scales thick, woody, and sometimes remaining closed, seeds wingless or wings short and remaining attached to scale.
5. Cones 8-25 cm long, opening at maturity; scales light brown, thinned somewhat toward the tip...............................Pinus flexilis
5. Cones 5-8 cm long, remaining closed and tardily shedding the seeds at maturity; scales purplish, becoming thickened rather than thinnish toward the tip....................................Pinus albicaulis
Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat / Range
Wet to dry bogs, lower slopes and high river terraces in the lowland, montane and subalpine zones; common throughout BC; N to S AK, YT and SW NT, E to W AB, and S to CA, UT, CO and SD.
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range. (Updated August, 2013)
