Whitebark Pine, Alpine Pine
Pinus albicaulis

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A soft pine. It is small and upright and with many stems. It can be low lying at high altitudes. It can form a single stemmed tree 20 m high and with a trunk 50 cm across under good growing conditions. The needles are in bundles of 5 and are 4-9 cm long. They are stout and stiff. They are slightly curved and dark yellowish-green. They are clustered towards the edges of the twigs and the edges are smooth. The needles remain on the tree for 4-8 years. The cones are round and 5-8 cm long. They occur at right angles to the branch. There are 30-50 scales and they are thick, tough and pointed. They do not have prickles. The cones only open slightly at maturity. Cones fall off. The seeds are large and 10 mm long. They are wingless. They have a heavy seed coat.

There are 100-110 species of Pinus. About 80 Pinus species have edible nuts. (C Solomon)

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In Canada it grows from 1000 m altitude to the tree line. It grows on rocky soils and cliff faces. It requires a moist climate. It can tolerate some shade. It suits hardiness zones 4-8.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Canada, Central America, Europe, Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The nuts are eaten. They can be eaten fresh or stored. They can also be roasted. The inner bark is sweet and edible in spring. The needles can be steeped in water to make pine tea. Caution: The tea should not be drunk in large amounts. It should not be drunk by pregnant women.

Edible parts

Inner bark, seeds, nut

How it is grown

Seeds germinate with difficulty.

It is slow growing and long lived. Trees can live to 500 years old. The cones are harvested and dried slightly before pounding to remove the seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Apinus albicaulis (Engelm.) Rydb.; Pinus shasta Carriere;