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lodgepole pine Pinaceae Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: PICO
Leaf: Evergreen needles, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long in fascicles of two, twisted, fascicle sheath present; yellow-green to green.
Flower: Species is monoecious; males are yellow, cylindrical and clustered at branch tips; females reddish purple at branch tips in the upper crown.
Fruit: Woody cone, 1 to 2 inches long, often asymmetrical and becoming lumpy near the base, apophysis armed with a short spine; light brown to brown; may remain closed for several years.
Twig: Orange-brown, turning darker with age, needles are persistent for several years; buds are narrowly ovoid, reddish brown and resinous.
Bark: Thin, typically grayish brown but can be very dark with many small close scales.
Form: Tall, slender trees with a narrow loose crown reaching up to 80 feet tall; some varieties which grow along the Pacific Coast are very short and scrubby.
 Looks like: jack pine - ponderosa pine - Bishop pine

lodgepole pine leaf image
lodgepole pine flower image
lodgepole pine fruit image
lodgepole pine twig image
lodgepole pine bark image
lodgepole pine form image
lodgepole pine map image

Additional Range Information: Pinus contorta is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Wood - Landowner Factsheet
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information