Common Name: Sierra Lodgepole Pine

General Information

Pinus contorta murrayana is an evergreen tree with a usually conic crown; it can grow up to 50 metres tall. The straight bole can be 90cm in diameter[].
A major timber species in western N. America where it is mainly harvested from natural stands[]. It is also extensively cultivated for timber in N. Europe[, ]. The plant has a wide range of traditional uses as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Pinus contorta murrayana is widespread and abundant in many parts of its range. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].
Pinus contorta is considered a major weed, ranked as one of the five most invasive pines. A fast-growing, short-lived conifer with a very wide ecological tolerance, it has been widely planted in temperate regions for forestry and erosion control. It is reported to be invasive in many temperate countries. and is a declared Class B noxious weed in New Zealand. Its invasiveness is mainly due to its small, wind-distributed seed, high seed production, short juvenile period, and short intervals between large crops. It readily invades open, disturbed ground caused be events such as wildfires or clear-felling of forests; changing the vegetation structure, altering fire regimes and negatively impactacting native species, reducing richness, abundance and diversity[].

Known Hazards

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[].

Botanical References

Range

Western N. America - Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Baja Norte

Habitat

Montane forests; at elevations from 400 - 3,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	40.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Pinus contorta murrayana is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant
Requires a sunny position. Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam[, ]. Plants are often found in infertile soils in the wild[]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[]. Tolerates water-logged soils[]. Succeeds in exposed maritime positions[, ]. Established plants tolerate drought[].
Pinus contorta murrayana is the tallest and best-formed variety of the species.
New growth takes place from mid spring until mid summer185]. Trees are long-lived, with specimens 600 years old recorded[].
Trees can be shrubby in habit when they are grown on poor sites[].
There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value[].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[].
Trees come into flower at an early age, usually between 6 and 10 years[]. Good seed crops are produced every 1 - 3 years[].
The cones are 2 - 5cm long[]. They take two growing seasons to ripen, sheeding their seeds when ripe and falling soon after[].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Inner bark - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. It can be used fresh or dried. It is mashed into a pulp and made into cakes then baked[]. Harvested in early spring, the taste is not unpleasant, but it develops a strong taste of turpentine as the season advances[]. The inner bark is ready to harvest when the male cones are producing pollen[]. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails.

Sap - collected in spring and used as a drink[, ].

Seed - raw or cooked[]. Rather small, the seeds in their shells are around 5mm long[].

A gum is made from the pitch obtained from the trunk. It is allowed to harden and used for chewing[].

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:

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[].

The roots have been braided by native N. Americans to make a rope[].

The young bark can be used to make baskets and buckets[].

A pitch obtained from this tree is used for waterproofing canoes, baskets, shoes etc and as a glue[, , , ]. It has also been used to preserve wood, baskets etc[]. Mixed with grease it has been used as a polish for steatite pipes[]. The pitch of this species is not a commercially important crop[].

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[, ].

Wood - straight but coarse-grained, light in weight, hard, strong, brittle[, ]. It varies from light and soft to hard and heavy[]. Easily worked, it is used for general construction, posts, poles, pulp etc[, , , , , ].
The wood makes a good fuel, burning well even when green because it is rich in pitch[, ].

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[].