Plant Data
Sheet
Whitebark
Pine, Pinus albicaulis |
Range
Whitebark pine ranges from northern
Climate,
Elevation
Whitebark pine grows in a cold, windy, snowy, and
generally moist climatic zone. In moist mountain ranges, whitebark pine is most
abundant on warm, dry exposures. Conversely, in semiarid ranges, it becomes
prevalent on cool exposures and moist sites. (2) Elevation ranges
from 2350 to 2750 m. (1)
Local
occurrence (where, how common)
Whitebark pine can grow on rocky ridges and bluffs but grows
largest at lower elevations in protected ravines and canyons. (1)
Habitat
preferences
Most whitebark pine stands grow on weakly developed
(immature) soils. (1) (2)
Plant
strategy type/successional stage (stress-tolerator, competitor,
weedy/colonizer, seral, late successional)
Shade
intolerant.
(2)
Associated
species
Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, mountain
hemlock, western white pine, and limber pine. (2)
May be collected as: (seed, layered, divisions, etc.)
Seed,
stem cuttings, layering. (1)
Grafting is easy on rootstock of either whitebark pine or western white
pine. (2)
Collection
restrictions or guidelines
The whitebark pine cones ripen in August and September;
collect them when they turn from dark purple to a dull purple to brown by hand
picking. They should be collected as soon as they are ripe. (1)
Seed
germination (needs dormancy breaking?)
Stratify by soaking the seeds in water for one or two days, then placing them in a moist medium and keeping them at a temperature of 1-5°C for 90-120 days. Making a small cut in the seed coat to facilitate water uptake can enhance germination. (1)
Seed
life (can be stored, short shelf-life, long shelf-life)
Can
be stored for long-term in proper condition. (1)
Recommended
seed storage conditions
Dry the seeds to a moisture content
of 5-10% and keep
at -17 to -15°C for long-term storage and 1-5°C for short-term storage. (1)
Propagation
recommendations (plant seeds, vegetative parts, cuttings, etc.)
Collect
cones, separate seeds, plant seeds. Grafting on whitebark pine or western white
pine stock could be easy. (1) Cuttings should not be taken
from trees older than five years. (2)
Soil or medium requirements (inoculum necessary?)
Sow the seeds at depth of 1.3 cm directly in nursery beds
with well-aerated, fertile soil that allows for adequate drainage. (1)
Installation
form (form, potential for successful outcomes, cost)
Seeds,
container-plants grown from seeds, stem cuttings, grafting plants. (1),
(2)
Recommended
planting density
4,850-6,615 seeds per kilogram. (1)
Care
requirements after installed (water weekly, water once, never water, etc.)
Outplant seedling as 2 or 3 years’ old. (1)
Normal
rate of growth or spread; lifespan
Whitebark pine is a long-lived, slow-growing tree. The trees
often reach four to seven hundred years of age while grow 60-90 cm in diameter
and reach only 2-15 m in height. (1)
Sources
cited
(1).
Rose, R., C. Chachulski and D. Haase.
1996. Propagation of
(2).
Burns, R. and B. Honkala 1990. Silvics of
Data compiled by: Yongjiang Zhang,