Whitebark Pine

Pinus albicaulis (Pinaceae) is a five-needled pine native to the high mountains of western North America from British Columbia and Alberta south to Wyoming, Oregon, and California. It grows slowly to about 50 feet tall, forming a broad, irregular crown at timberline. The bark is whitish-gray and smooth on young trees, becoming scaly with age.

Whitebark pine grows in full sun on well-drained soils at high elevations, tolerating extreme cold, wind, and thin, rocky substrates. The large, wingless seeds are an important food source for Clark's nutcracker and grizzly bears. The species is severely threatened by white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle, and is listed as a candidate for federal protection. Hardy in Zones 3a to 8b.