Lodgepole pine

Pinus contorta var. latifolia

Lodgepole pine is a highly adaptable tree that can grow in all sorts of environments, from water-logged bogs to dry sandy soils. It grows throughout the Interior, from mid elevation to subalpine sites. Needles occur in bunches of two and are often twisted in a spiral with sharp points; usually dark green. Seed cones vary in shape from short and cylindrical to egg-shaped; 2 to 4 centimeters long without stalks. The seed scales have sharp prickles at their tips. The bark is thin, orangey-brown to grey, and finely scaled