Pinus contorta - Shore Pine

The bare, twisted trunks of Shore Pine are a familiar sight along the Oregon Coast. P. contorta is a pioneer tree in that area, meaning that it (along with Red Alder, Alnus rubra) is the first tree to appear after a clear-cut or fire. With time, it eventually gives way to the large trees of the coast: Western Red-Cedar, Western Hemlock, and Sitka Spruce.

P. contorta is a two-needle pine. Its cones are small, pendent, and have distinct, thorny protrusions on the cone scales. In its natural habitat, it loses its lower branches with age (due to the harsh coastal environment). However, when used as an ornamental inland, it will retain these lower limbs and can make an effective noise barrier. Near the beach, its bark is a washed out gray color, but further inland it is darker; even black.

Another variety of P. contorta is Lodgepole Pine, which grows strictly at higher elevations and has reddish bark.

Photo: J. Tsao, 7/22/06, South Beach State Park