Description
Depending on subspecies, the Lodgepole Pine grows as an evergreen shrub or tree. The shrub form is krummholz and is approximately 1 to 3 metres (3.3 to 9.8 ft) high. The thin and narrow-crowned tree is 40 to 50 metres (130 to 160 ft) high and can achieve up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) diameter at chest height. The murrayana subspecies is the tallest. The crown is rounded and the top of the tree is flattened. In dense forests, the tree's a slim, conical crown. The formation of twin trees is common in some populations in British Columbia. The elastic branches stand upright or overhang and are difficult to break. The branches are covered with short shoots that are easy to remove.
The species name contorta arises from the twisted, bent pines found in the coastal area. Pinus contorta is occasionally known under several English names: Black Pine, Scrub Pine, and Coast Pine. P. contorta subsp. latifolia will hybridise with the closely related Jack Pine - Pinus banksiana.
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