Lodgepole Pine
In the shelter-belt across from 1802 -14th St. E.
The Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta var. latifolia grows very tall and straight. This one is wider because it gets more light and open space than in its normal habitat of closed forest. Native to the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan, it is common in the Rocky Mountains and is the provincial tree of Alberta. Its Latin name contorta comes from the spiral twist of its needles.
The typical pole-like form was the reason it was used by First Nations peoples to make teepees and lodges; hence the name "lodge" pole. Today the wood is still used for poles, posts and rustic furniture, but also milled into lumber, plywood and paneling.
Lodgepole Pine is one of the first trees to colonize after a fire. Their cones require fire to release the seeds. When suitable growing conditions arise after a fire, the seeds germinate and the forest regenerates. In this way fire is sometimes a vital and natural part of maintaining forest ecosystems.
This tree is very adaptable and can grow in wet boggy sites as well as in drier sandy conditions. Unfortunately the older trees are susceptible to Mountain Pine Beetles, which have devastated many forests throughout western regions of US and Canada.