Also known as Western Pine. | ||
needles |
cones |
seeds |
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General
Description:
A slender tree with a short-branched,
narrow symmetrical crown, up to
40 m tall and the trunk 1-1.5 m. diameter; bark checked into small nearly square
plates; leaves 5-10 cm long, bluish-green, whitened by 2-6 role of stomata;
cones 1-2.5 dm long, light brown; seed about 8 mm long and the wings 25 mm.
This is our most valuable lumber tree in Idaho, forming dense, almost pure strands
over large areas of the Clearwater River drainage and northward. Middle altitudes
of moist situations of the Mts. W. Mont. to B. C., across N. Idaho and south
to Calif.
Distribution:
Southern British Columbia to Sierra Nevada in California, western Nevada east
to Northern Idaho and southwest Alberta.
Habitat:
Moist valleys to open, dry slopes varying from 0 to 6000 feet in elevation;
the largest trees are found on deep, well drained, but wet soils; may occur
in pure stands or mixed with Western Hemlock, Western Larch, Douglas Fir, Grand
Fir and Western Red Cedar.
Other:
Blister Rust is a disease which adversely affects this species causing cankers
on trunks and branches. It is an important lumber tree because of its large
size, lightweight, knotless, straight-grained wood. It tends not to warp or
shrink. Thus, it is valuable for doors, baseboards, interior finishing, floors,
shelving, shutters and window frames and sashes.
It is valuable for wildlife for cover and food. The seeds are eaten buy squirrels,
many species of birds such as pine grosbeaks, rosy finches, and nuthatches,
and rodents such as white-footed mice. Bears claw the bark and eat the sweet
sapwood. Porcupines eat the bark.