Common Name: Whitebark Pine

General Information

Pinus albicaulis is an evergreen tree with a conic crown that becomes rounded to irregularly spreading with age; it can grow up to 21 metres tall. The bole is up to 150cm in diameter, it can be straight and cylindrical or twisted and contorted[]. The plant is reduced to a prostrate gnarled mat at the highest elevations and exposures, the best specimens being found at lower elevations in sheltered canyons[].
The tree is harvested from the wild for mainly local use as a food and source of materials.
Pinus albicaulis is experiencing serious decline due to White Pine Blister Rust and Mountain Pine Beetle. In areas where these pests are both present the decline in population numbers and population resilience is such that population sustainability in the long-term is predicted to decrease. Although concrete figures cannot be given for the entire range of the species, a decline rate of 50% as a minimum figure, incorporating both past decline (past 100 years) and suspected future decline (next 80 years), is reasonable. The plant is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America - British Columbia to Alberta, south to California, Nevada and Wyoming

Habitat

Thin, rocky, cold soils at or near the timberline, montane forests; at elevations from 1,300 - 3,700metres[]. Often found on rocky ridges and bluffs[]

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus albicaulis is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -40°c when fully dormant. It grows best in climates where there is a distinct transition from winter to spring. It is easily excited into growth as the season warms up and, in areas where periods of mild weather can be interspersed with a return to cold conditions, this new growth is very susceptible to damage by temperates near to or below freezing[, ].
Pine species in general require a sunny position if they are to grow well and, whilst the different species have their own soil preferences, most will thrive in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam[, ]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[]. Established plants tolerate drought[]. Plants often colonise exposed mountain slopes in the wild, their root system anchoring them firmly[].
A long-lived but slow-growing tree in the wild[]. It grows well in Britain[], coning regularly at Kew[], but not doing so well in the milder parts of the country[]. It is best suited for growing in northern areas at higher elevations[]. Trees do not produce large numbers of cones but small numbers are formed annually[].
The cones are up to 8cm long, they ripen in late summer and do not open on the tree but fall intact to the ground[, , , ]. This species is the only N. American pine with this habit and it is thus considered to be a primitive species[]. The seed is extracted by breaking up the soft scales of the cone[]. Birds and mammals often open the cones and eat the seeds before they mature[].
This is one of several species of pine that depend upon a mutualistic relationship with a species of bird (in this case Clark's nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana) to disperse its seed. The birds have powerfull beaks which enable them to extricate the seeds and crack the shells. They store many of the seeds at some distance from the parent plant - some of these seeds never get eaten and can germinate and grow into new trees[].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[].
This species is closely related to Pinus flexilis[], differing mainly in the cones[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[]. They can also be ground into a powder and then used as a flavouring in soups etc or can be added to cereal flours when making bread, biscuits, cakes etc[]. Large and sweetly-flavoured[]. It has a pleasant slightly resinous flavour[]. Eating the raw seeds in quantity can cause constipation[].
The oil-rich seeds are up to 9 x 7mm[] and have a thick shell[]. They are contained in broadly ovoid to globose cones around 4 - 8cm in diameter[].

Inner bark[, , ]. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread.

A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood[].

Medicinal

Oil of turpentine, obtained from the oleo-resin of all pine trees, is antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, rubefacient, stimulant and vermifuge[, ]. It is a valuable remedy used internally in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints and is used both internally and as a rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatic affections[]. It is also very beneficial to the respiratory system and so is useful in treating diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza and TB[].
Applied externally in the form of liniment plasters, poultices, herbal steam baths and inhalers, it is a very beneficial treatment for a variety of skin complaints, wounds, sores, burns, boils etc[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Whitebark Pine is a keystone species of the upper and subalpine ecosystems. It is also a foundation species for protecting watersheds as it tolerates harsh, wind-swept sites that other conifers cannot, the shade of its canopy regulates snowmelt runoff and soil erosion, and its roots stabilize rocky and poorly developed soils[].
The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat[].

Other Uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[].

Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction economically worthwhile[]. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood[, ]. In general, trees from warmer areas of distribution give the higher yields[].
Oil of Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin[] and is separated by distillation[, ]. Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for thinning and dissolving varnish and paints, a shoe polish, medicinal etc[, ].
Rosin is also obtained by distillation of pine resin. This is used in paper glue and soap manufacturing, as a constituent of varnishes and paints, and for coating the bows of stringed musical instruments such as violins[, ].
Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc[].

The wood is soft, light, coarse grained, brittle[]. Sweetly scented when freshly cut[]. It is harvested commercially on a small scale for use as timber[].
The wood is used occasionally for fuel[]. The wood used to be a major fuel source for the mining industry in Montana, but is currently only harvested on a small scale[].

Propagation

It is best to sow the seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in late winter. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°c can improve the germination of stored seed[]. Plant seedlings out into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them for their first winter or two[]. Plants have a very sparse root system and the sooner they are planted into their permanent positions the better they will grow[]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm[]. We actually plant them out when they are about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they are given a very good weed-excluding mulch they establish very well[]. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[].
Cuttings. This method only works when taken from very young trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding the shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help. Cuttings are normally slow to grow away[].