Shore Pine: Small, fast-growing evergreen

#NativePlantsofOregon

• Binomial Name: Pinus contorta var. contorta
• Soil Type: Adaptable, prefers dry
• Sunlight: Full to part sun
• Plant Type: Small tree
• Form: Irregular, broadly rounded
• Foliage: Evergreen needles
• Fruit/Flower: Cones

Getting its common name (Shore Pine) from being adaptable and resilient enough to thrive along Pacific Northwest beaches, found up to 600m on rocky ridges, coastal sand dunes, and in bogs, The Pinus contorta gets its binomial name from the tree’s “contorted” shape caused by windy coastal conditions. Shore Pines are relatively small, fast-growing evergreens with a broadly rounded shape that varies greatly based on the landscape they’re planted in.

The furrowed bark is dark brown to blackish often with large patches of pitch on the trunk. Slightly flattened, small needlelike, dark green leaves are arranged in 2 per fascicle. Reddish green seed cones are asymmetric and persistent, some taking many years to mature. The tips of each scale ends in a prickle. Cones mature between September and October; seed dispersal shortly follows.

This Native Plant of the Month is brought to you by the City of Beaverton’s Landscape and Urban Forestry Department. Visit Clean Water Service’s Native Plant Finder webpage for interactive questions to help you find the right native plant to fit your needs!