PNW Pines (Pinus)

Pines• About 115 species• Native to most of the Northern Hemisphere• Evergreen, coniferous• Mostly trees, rarely bushes• 3-80m tall• Tallest is a Ponderosa Pine located in

Southern Oregon

Pine Ecology

• Grow well in acidic soils.• Well drained Sandy Soils• Can tolerate extreme conditions due to

elevation and latitude• Bishop Pines need fire to regenerate

Uses• Used largely as timber

– Furniture, homes• Resin is used for turpentine• Used as ornamental plants• Used for pine nuts

Lodgepole Pine• Needles: Two needles per bundle

(clustered); 1-3" long; commonly twisted (contorted).

• Fruit: Small, egg-shaped cones (1-2" long), often with a prickle at the end of each scale. May remain closed on the tree for years.

• Bark: Thin, dark, and flaky.

Ponderosa Pine• Needles: bundles of 3, 5-10 inches long; held

for only 2-3 years.• Fruit: Egg-shaped cone; 3-5 inches long

(much smaller than Jeffrey pine cones); each scale has a straight, stiff prickle that sticks out.

• Bark: Flakes off in shapes like jigsaw puzzle pieces. Older trees have a distinct yellow or orange color (not red like Jeffrey pine).

Jeffery Pine• Needles: bundles of 3, 5-10 inches long; often

"bushy" along twig. Last 5-8 years on tree. • Fruit: Large, woody cones; 5-12 inches long

(much larger than ponderosa pine cones); each scale has a curved (J-shaped) prickle that curves inward.

• Bark: Flakes off in jigsaw puzzle-like pieces. Older bark is distinctly reddish-brown (not as orange as ponderosa pine)

Western White Pine• Needles: Occur in bundles of 5; 2-4

inches long; white lines on 2 sides of each 3-sided needle.

• Fruit: Woody cones, 5-12 inches long.  slender and curved. Cone scales are thin and often curve up on the end.

• Bark: Dark; broken into small squares or rectangles on older trees (smooth on young trees). Bark often "ringed" where a whorl of branches once grew

White-bark Pine• Needles: Occur in bundles of 5; 1-3 inches

long; faint, white lines on all surfaces.• Fruit: Small, woody cones, 2-3 inches long;

nearly round; thick cone scales with no prickles.

• Bark: Thin, scaly, and grayish throughout its life