Pinus contorta
Loudon
Beach pine, Lodgepole pine
Pinus contorta is a tree that is native to California, and found only slightly beyond California borders.
Bloom Period
The blue points on the map indicate observations in Calflora.
Click on the map to view observations within a specific county.
Click on the map to view observations within a specific county.
Jepson eFlora section:
gymnosperm
USDA PLANTS group:
Gymnosperm
Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands
coastal
Coastal Strand, Closed-cone Pine Forest, wetland-riparian
[Wikipedia] Fire-Dependent Species: Pinus contorta is a fire-dependent species, requiring wildfires to maintain healthy populations of diverse ages. The thin bark of the lodgepole pine minimizes its defense to fire, although the heat of fire opens the cones to release the seeds. This allows the species to regenerate and maintain its place in the forest habitat. It otherwise fares poorly in crowds as other species are more shade tolerant, although some (e.g. firs) are more susceptible to fire. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)
