Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis
Whitebark pine forms a close partnership with Clark's nutcracker, a bird that caches thousands of its seeds each year in the ground — the tree's cones don't open on their own, so nearly all its regeneration depends on caches the bird forgets to retrieve.
Where found
Harsh, windswept timberline and subalpine ridges of the high Cascades and Rocky Mountains.
Fun facts
- Clark's nutcrackers can carry over 100 seeds at a time in a pouch under their tongue, caching them across the landscape.
- Some individual trees exceed 500 years old, with the oldest surviving over 1,000 years.
- A candidate for federal protection due to white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle outbreaks, and fire suppression.
Specs
| Height | 5–20 m |
|---|---|
| Spread | 4–8 m |
| Lifespan | 500–1,000+ yrs |
| Growth Rate | Very slow |
| Sun | Full sun |
| Native Range | British Columbia and Alberta south through the Cascades, Rockies, and Sierra Nevada |
