Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)

Lodgepole pine which is also called shore pine or twisted pine is a tree commonly found in the western part of North Africa. It is an evergreen type of tree with three subspecies. They also have a narrow loose crown.


Description

It is an evergreen shrub in the form of krummholz and its height between approximately 3.3 ft to 9.8 ft high. The narrow crowned tree is approximately 130-160 ft high and its chest size is about 6.6 ft. The leaves are evergreen needles whose length is between 1.5 inches and 3 inches in fascicles of two. The fascicle sheath is green and sometimes yellow-green and occurs in a twisted manner.

The flower species is monoecious; the male flowers are yellow and cylindrical and clustered the branch tips. The female flowers are reddish purple at branch tips in the upper crown. The fruits are about 1 to 2 inches long. They are also asymmetrical and lumpy near the base. The twigs are orange brown in color though with age, they turn to be darker. The twig’s needles are very persistent but are narrowly ovoid. The bark of lodgepole pine is thin and dark with many small close scales. It also has elastic branches that either stand upright or overhang and are not easily broken


Favorable Conditions for Growth

The tree thrives well in a wide variety of conditions. Minimum temperatures range between 70c and -570c in the North Mountains and maximum temperatures should be 270c at high elevations. The seedlings have been found to be very resistant to frost injury although some do survive. They also grow in areas that receive about 250 mm of rainfall per year. In terms of sunlight, the tree grows rapidly during summer.


Needles and Buds

The growth buds of the lodgepole pine are egg shaped and reddish brown in color. Their length ranges between 20 and 30 mm. They are also short pointed and slightly rotated in shape.