The 4 Pines

Of the Gardens’ 4 native pine species. (There is a 5th pine and although we’ve tried, this the Whitebark Pine does well only at higher elevations.) The most common are Lodgepole and Shore Pine, both infra-species of “Pinus contorta.” Both are found in the Gardens. The former grows straight and tall, the latter is often misshaped and sprawling; both have needle clumps of 2. Ponderosa Pine can be a tall tree with needles in groups of 3, one natural grove now reported in the Skagit Valley, but mainly east of the Cascades. These Sugar Pines have large, rounded cones and bark colored red to cinnamon; needles are 2-3” long. Cones remain on branches for years. Two pines have needles in clumps of 5. Again, the higher slopes’ Whitebark Pine is not often seen here. The other 5-needle pine is the Western White Pine and is found randomly scattered in lower elevations. Look for all 4 species by Kiosk 12. PLC’s sponsored WWU SAM Project’s extinction probabilities are slight, <.0001%. A cultivar of a Lodgepole Pine with needles in clumps of 2 with a misshaped form is found within our school’s drive-around. Preschoolers think it looks like the Spiderman character (grandparents recall the Pillsbury Doughboy) and we have resisted all attempts to have it removed by those wishing a speedier traffic turnaround. At Christmas, it is our Santa Claus Tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122112318518364657&set=a.122101918214364657
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Pinus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_contorta
https://www.plc215.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Kiosk-12.pdf

The pine with needles in groups of 3 is the:

Ponderosa Pine
Shore Pine
White Pine

Comments, content, questions appreciated, email bb@plc215.org