Description
Pinus contorta var. latifolia is the lodgepole pine noted for its straight, columnar habit, long trunk, and cone-shaped crown. In the wild, it can grow from 45 to 150 feet tall, however in cultivation it usually reaches 40-50 feet tall. The foliage is often twisted, yellow-green to dark green with the needles borne in pairs. The small cones are ovate, tan to pale red-brown and borne in clusters and tend to point backward. The bark is orange to reddish-brown, thin and scaly. Plant in loamy, sandy or poor soils that are dry, well-drained, and acidic to neutral. Valued in the landscape for its impressive upright habit. Use as a specimen, screen or windbreak. It is a larval host for butterfly and moth species. Photo: Wikimedia.
