Dendrology of the Tolowa Dunes State Park 1 | Page 15

Pinus Contorta

shore pine

Habitat:

moist sandy and gravelly soils near the coast, coastal swamps, and northern bogs, and in the mountains at middle and higher elevations. Ranges from from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, and from the Yukon and southeast Alaska into northern Baja Californina, also in the Black Hills. Elevation range is from sea level to 11,500 feet (Randall et al 1988).

A tree 30' to 100' feet tall and 1' to 2' in diameter. Needles 2 per fascile, 1 1/2" to 3 " long, green to yellow green. Cones 1' to 2" long, egg shaped, yellowish brown to brown. Bark thin, dark scaly, usually under 1" thick.

Only 2 needle pine native to western United Sates (Randall et al 1988).

Map Courtesy of USGS