lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)

• Needles: Two needles per bundle (clustered); 1-3" long; commonly twisted.
• Fruit: Small, egg-shaped cones (1-2" long), often with a prickle. May remain closed on the tree for years.
• Bark: Thin, dark, and flaky.
• Distribution: Abundant in the northern Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast region. Inland populations grow from 0-11,500 ft. (0-3,600 m).

ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)

• Needles: Occur in bundles of 3 (rarely 2); 5-10" long; tufted near the ends of branches.
• Fruit: Egg-shaped; 3-5" long (much smaller than Jeffrey pine cones); each scale has a straight, stiff prickle that sticks out.
• Bark: Flakes off in shapes like jigsaw puzzle pieces. Older trees have a distinct yellow or orange color.
• Distribution: Occurs in the Pacific Coast mountain ranges, throughout the Rocky Mountains, and into northern Mexico. Grows from sea level to 9,000 ft. (2,800 m).

Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi)

• Needles: Occur in bundles of 3 (rarely 2); 5-10" long; often "bushy" along twig.
• Fruit: Large, woody cones; 5-12" long (much larger than ponderosa pine cones); each scale has a curved (J-shaped) prickle that curves inward.
• Bark: Flakes off in jigsaw puzzle-like pieces. Older bark is distinctly reddish-brown.
• Distribution: Occurs in mountainous regions of the West, from southern Oregon through the Sierra Nevada, and into Baja, California. Generally grow from 4,800 to 9,600 ft. (1,500-3,000 m).

knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata)

• Needles: Occur in bundles of 3; 3-7" long; slender and twisted.
• Fruit: Woody cones with swollen, knob-like bumps on one side; 3-6" long; grow in dense clusters.
• Bark: Dark and scaly.
• Distribution: Found on dry, rocky slopes and ridges of the coastal mountain ranges; southern Oregon to Baja, California. Usually grow at 2,600-4,500 ft. (800-1,350 m).

western white pine (Pinus monticola)

• Needles: Occur in bundles of 5; 2-4" long; white lines on 2 sides of each needle.
• Fruit: Woody cones, 5-12" long (smaller than sugar pine cones); slender and curved. Cone scales are thin and often curve up on the end.
• Bark: Dark; broken into small squares or rectangles on older trees (smooth on young trees). Bark often "ringed" where a whorl of branches once grew.
• Distribution: Occurs in southern British Columbia, the northwestern states, and the Sierra Nevada of California. In the northern portion of their range, the trees grow from sea level to 2,500 ft. (750 m).

sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana)

• Needles: Occur in bundles of 5; 2-4" long; white lines on all 3 surfaces of each needle.
• Fruit: Huge, woody cones, 10-20" long (larger than western white pine cones) and straight. Cone scales are thick and straight.
• Bark: Reddish-brown and furrowed; broken into long plates on older trees (narrow plates on young trees). No small blocky patches, and no rings where whorls of branches once grew.
• Distribution: Ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to southern California, the Sierra Nevada, and into northern Baja, California. Occur from 2,300 to 9,200 ft. (750-3,000 m).

limber pine (Pinus flexilis)

• Size: Usually under 50' tall and 2' in diameter. Often shrubby.
• Needles: Occur in bundles of 5; 2-3" long; white lines on all surfaces.
• Fruit: Woody cones, 3-7" long; thick cone scales with no prickles.
• Bark: Grayish-brown with furrows and ridges.
• Distribution: Distributed widely in the Rocky Mountains from Canada to northern New Mexico; found in northeast corner of Oregon. The trees are usually found on dry, rocky ridges and peaks at 7,700 to 11,500 ft. (2,350-3,600 m) elevation.

whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis)

• Size: Usually under 50' tall and 2' in diameter. Often distorted or shrub-like.
• Needles: Occur in bundles of 5; 1-3" long; faint, white lines on all surfaces.
• Fruit: Small, woody cones, 1 1/2-3" long; thick cone scales with no prickles. Fall from the tree intact. Seeds are unwinged.
• Bark: Thin, scaly, and grayish throughout its life.
• Distribution: Found in the high mountains of western Canada and the U.S. Grows at or near timberline from 7,700 to 12,000 ft. (2,350-3,750 m) elevation.