The following was received via email: I photographed this cone near the Totem Park Residences at UBC. It is somewhat one-sided. would you know which pine this is?
Hi Daniel: Is there any way the person that sent in the picture of the pine cone can offer an image of the tree in question? Are all the cones "closed" and are all of them roughly the same size and shape? Then, if it is possible to learn, how many needles are there to a bundle, such as needles in 2's, 3's, and 5's and is there a white band on the backside of the needle? Thanks for your help, Jim
Pine It sure looks like the pine cones that the squirrel in our back yard throws down on us when we are having a BBQ. We call them Ponderosa pines but I have heard them called Yellow pines. The needles are 6+ inches. The cones are usually about 4"+ long and usually open after lying on the ground for a few days. They have quite sharp points on each "petal" that can be quite painful.... Hope this helps....
The reason I asked the question about closed cone pine is that there are several forms that remain closed to protect the seeds and will open up in extreme heat, in most cases fire. Pinus aristata, Pinus attenuata, Pinus contorta (varieties 'Latifolia', 'Contorta' and 'Bolanderi' inclusive), Pinus murricata and Pinus radiata to name a few are principally noted as being closed cone Pines. I know one of the forms mentioned above does indeed grow in many parts of British Columbia. Tell me the number of needles to a bundle as well as are all the cones closed and roughly the same size and shape and I will pretty well know which Pine this one is. I've had a rather large collection of species and varieties of Pines longer than I've had Japanese Maples. At last count I have 21 named "Goyos", Pinus parviflora cultivars. I thought it was cute years ago to introduce many Conifers through the years at my cabin near Yosemite. I've had some good luck but I've also had a few lost battles, especially with the golden needled forms of Spruce. They along with "Tsugies", Hemlocks, just do not like our heat with no marine air, even at a 5,000' elevation. I know you were trying to help and yes, there are times even for us that Ponderosa Pines will have their cones drop without opening. Typical Ponderosa pine cones for us are about 6-8 inches, 15-20 1/2 cm in length which makes them way too large to be the example shown. Best regards, Jim
