Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine

Pinus contorta var. latifolia (Pinaceae) is the inland variety of lodgepole pine, native to the mountains of western North America from the Yukon south to Colorado and Oregon. It grows to 110 feet tall with a straight, slender trunk that self-prunes in dense stands. It forms the dominant tree species across vast areas of montane forest.

Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine grows in full sun on a wide range of soils at middle to high elevations. Dense, even-aged stands are characteristic, arising after stand-replacing fires. Mountain pine beetle is the most significant threat, causing large-scale mortality across the western interior. Hardy in Zones 3a to 8b.