Plant Data
Sheet
Pinus contorta, shore pine
Range
Pacific
coast from Alaska to Mendocino Co., CA.
East to the Cascade and Klamath Ranges.
Climate, elevation
Sea
level to 610 m. Maritime. Average yearly climate range is 7C - 27C.
Local occurrence
Along
the Washington and Oregon coast and in lowlands. Can be found in sphagnum bogs
in Western Washington.
Habitat preferences
Very
adaptable to a wide range of conditions, found saturated to well drained
soils. Tolerant of low nutrient
soil. Found from dunes and bogs to rocky
hilltops and exposed outer coast shorelines.
Tolerant of salt spray.
Intolerant of shade and competition.
Plant strategy
type/successional stage
Successional
role depends upon environmental conditions and associated species.
Associated species
Sitka
spruce, lodgepole pine, redwoods, salal, hairy cinquefoil, coastal strawberry,
Northern riceroot, dune grass beach, pea.
Other vegetation is often sparse.
May be collected as: Seed, cuttings.
Collection restrictions or
guidelines
Collect
ripe cones September to October. The
cones turn from purple-green to a lustrous yellow brown when they are
ripe. Produces 2-50 seeds per cone. Good cone crops occur at 1-3 year intervals.
Serotiny increases inland but is unpredictable.
Seed germination
Fresh
seeds have no dormancy and may be sown right away. If seeds have been stored they require 20-30
days cold stratification.
Seed life
Can
be stored for 17 years. Pines have highly variable germination after storage.
Recommended seed storage
conditions
Dry
to 5-10% moisture content and store at 2-5 C. Remove from storage one week
before cold stratification.
Propagation recommendations
Plant
seeds in the fall after collection or in the spring after cold
stratification. Seeds should germinate
in 30-50 days. Full sun required for
germination in natural conditions. Be
sure to keep soil moist in the first weeks after germination.
Soil or medium requirements
No inoculum necessary.
Installation form
Seed
or container grown plants from seed.
Recommended planting density
320
seeds / square meter.
Care requirements after
installed
In
the first year, seedlings have very shallow roots and are susceptible to
drought. Seedlings are poor competitors
and competition from grass is especially bad. Therefore water every week and
keep the site weeded and seedlings well mulched.
Normal rate of growth or
spread; lifespan
Short
lived. Can reach 20-50 feet, however is
often smaller.
Sources cited
Burns,
R. and Honkala. 1990. Silvics of North America, Volume 1, Conifers. U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Washington, D.C.
Oregon
State University Extension Service and Oregon Department of Forestry. 1995. Trees to Know in Oregon.
Pojar
and MacKinnon. 1994. Plants of the
Pacific Northwest Coast.
Young,
C. and Young, J. 1986. Collecting,
Processing and Germinating Seeds of Wildland Plants.
Young,
C. and Young, J. 1992. Seeds of Woody
Plants in North America.
www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pinconc/
Data compiled by Katie McGowan
April 22, 2003