Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) grows in the Rocky Mountains, from Alaska to northern New Mexico, in the Black Hills and on the Pacific Coast. Poles of this tree were used by Native Americans for structural supports for teepees and lodges; hence the common name of lodgepole. Lodgepole pine trees are not very large. In the […]
Two major spruces are found in the western forests of the U.S. Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) is found throughout the Rocky Mountains, from Alberta to Arizona. It is named after George Englemann who discovered this species in the mid 1800s. Sitka spruce is found primarily within 50 miles of the Pacific Coast from Alaska to
Western spruces, Engelmann and Sitka Read More »
Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), also called fat pine or heart pine, is one of the four major species making up the Southern pines. It is the strongest of the four, the tallest (over 100 feet) and the most fire resistant. While the tall, stately longleaf pine once covered 30 to 60 million acres of the
