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Crater Lake Pines

Ponderosa pines near the South Entrance From Kodachrome by C. Warren Fairbanks

There are many beautiful trees in Crater Lake National Park, many virgin areas untouched by the woodsman’s axe or the camper’s fire. Stately trees that have lived for centuries are here for the enjoyment of the park visitor, trees that will remain here for generations to come if the scourge of fire is kept out.

The pine tree has rather long, cylindrical needle-leaves that are clustered together in little bundles and are held together by a sheath at the base. The number of needles in the cluster is one of the characteristics used for identification of the different types of pines. The foliage is rather open, allowing the sun’s rays to make irregular splotches of light on the forest floor. The cones are more rough and coarse than those of the firs and hemlocks.

Crater Lake National Park boasts five beautiful species of pines. These trees grow throughout the area in belts, according to elevation, which may be referred to as Life Zones. The ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Dougl., and the sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana Dougl., are found at the lowest elevations of the park. They grow in the Transition Zone, which runs up to about 5,500 feet elevation above sea level at this latitude. The Canadian Zone, which here ranges between about 5,500 and 6,200 feet, includes the lodgepole pine,Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm., and the western white pine, Pinus monticola Dougl. The white-bark pine, Pinus albicaulisEngelm., is found in the highest elevations of the park, comprising the area referred to as the Hudsonian Zone. One should realize that there is considerable overlapping of these growing areas and that the above figures are quite general. They will vary considerably according to local conditions of exposure, sun and weather.

Ponderosa pine cone, x1/7

The beautiful ponderosa pine is the most outstanding pine of the park. As one enters from the south, these towering trees with their golden-brown bark, frame the roadway so magnificently that they are sometimes mistaken for giant redwoods. If one examines the large bark plates closely, he can readily see scales having shapes that might well remind him of a piece of an old jigsaw puzzle. These majestic trees are well named, these ponderous ponderosa pines.

Sugar pine cone, x1/7

The largest and most stately of all our pines is the sugar pine. It is both larger and taller than its close neighbor, the ponderosa. It received its name from the fact that, in scarred or burnt areas of its bark, it sometimes exudes a sugary resin. This the Indians particularly esteemed. The sugar pine is becoming quite scarce in logging regions. It is a favorite of the lumbermen because of its enormous size and its soft white wood. Fortunately, the trees in the park are protected from this fate.

Lodgepole pine cone, x1/7

The lodgepole is probably the most abundant pine in this area. In the southwestern part of the park it grows in dense groves. It is often referred to as “doghair pine,” because of its thick growth, and as “jack pine.” Lodgepole pine received this name because of its particular usefulness. The Rocky Mountain Indians used these slender trees for making their teepee poles and drag-sleds. The Plains Indians traveled hundreds of miles to secure these poles. More recently, the pioneers adapted this practice to the building of their cabins and lodges.

Western whie pine cone, x1/7

The cones are often sealed by a sticky resin which prevents release of the seeds. They may remain dormant within the cone for decades. Since growth is so thick, lodgepole pine forest has a high fire incidence. When fire sweeps through such a forest, the resin of the cone is melted and the seeds are freed to start a new grove. If fire is kept out long enough, gradually some of the larger, more shade-loving trees will work their way in and crowd out the slender lodgepole.

A very attractive but not so abundant tree is the western white pine. Often one will notice a dozen or more rather long, tapering cones near the top of this tree. If one examines the needles of the tree and finds them in bundles of five, he is readily assured of its identity as a white pine.

Whitebark pine cone, x1/7

The most beautiful, in a grotesque sort of way, is the white bark pine. The odd shapes of these trees are the result of exposure to the icy winds and winter snows at high elevations. Because of the severe weather it endures, this pine may be rather bushy and only three or four feet high, even though it is many decades old. It is often found growing in a crevice on some rocky ledge where it would appear that no tree would be able to survive. The seeds of its small purple cone are especially favored by nutcrackers and chipmunks.

These trees provide homes and food for many of the forest animals. These beautiful homes, centuries old, can be destroyed in a matter of minutes by someone’s carelessness. Let’s protect our trees and keep our parks and forests green.

Comparative Table of the Pines of Crater Lake National Park

References

Farner, Donald S. 1952. The Birds of Crater Lake National Park.Lawrence, University of Kansas Press. xi, 187 pp.

McMinn, Howard E., and Evelyn Maino. 1946. An Illustrated Manual of Pacific Coast Trees. Berkeley, University of California Press. xii, 409 pp.

Peattie, Donald C. 1953. A Natural History of Western Trees. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company. xiv, 751 pp.

Sudworth, George B. 1908. Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope.Washington, D. C., Government Printing Office. 441 pp.