Pinus contorta Seeds | Lodgepole Pine
LATIN NAME: Pinus contorta
COMMON NAME: Lodgepole Pine
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) is an evergreen conifer. It likes sun, and well-drained soil. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the Pinus group, Pinus contorta draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Fire-opened cones of lodgepole pine give it a recognised place in research on cold-climate forest pines of great pine group, and contorta species appears in studies of fire-adapted conifers and serotinous cones. Because it has been grown for so long, its garden habits are thoroughly documented.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Lodgepole Pine earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. In cold, open ground, lodgepole pine twists cold garden with straight, tough trunks. Timber serves poles, framing and fuel for generations, cones feed birds, and tree makes fine windbreak. It grows well in well-drained, sunny ground. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Pines are a materia medica of their own: vitamin-C-rich needle teas saved explorers from scurvy, pine pollen is a tonic food in China, bark proanthocyanidins are studied for circulation, and resin gave turpentine, rosin and naval stores to history.
Growing from Seed
Raising Lodgepole Pine from seed is straightforward. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Among the Pinus group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Lodgepole Pine: