Puget Sound Native Tree
Botanical Garden
People have created across the United States lists of the largest individual tree of many species as well as typical size of each in a mature forest. They call the largest tree a CHAMPION TREE, for bragging rights.
Shore Pine
Typical dimensions of a large tree of this species in a mature forest:
Height:
Diameter:
Age:
Champion tree for this species:
Height:
Diameter:
Age:
30 FEET
1 foot
20 years
50'
2 ft
500 years
8- The Shore Pine can be found along Rich Passage at the South eend of Bainbridge Island.
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Shore Pine
pinus contorta contorta
Shore pines, or Pinus contorta var. contorta, are tough, adaptable evergreen conifers native to Pacific coastal regions (Alaska to California), known for their often twisted, irregular shapes, dark green needles in pairs, and tolerance for salt spray, wind, and poor soils, making them ideal for coastal landscapes and tough urban sites. They provide wildlife benefits and can grow 20-50 feet tall, with small, prickly cones that often stay closed.
Shore Pine
This tree species was growing at the Dolphin Place location when the property was purchased in 1973.
Exact data was not collected at the time. The following is data recorded in 2020.
Largest tree for this species within Dolphin Place Open Space:
Height:
Diameter:
15 ft
6 inches
Shore pine cones are small, egg-shaped (ovoid), usually 1-3 inches long, and distinctive for having a sharp prickle (spine) on the tip of each scale, often pointing backward towards the branch, giving them a "prickly" or "spiny" look, and they often persist on the tree for years, sometimes getting buried by branch growth.
The bark of a Shore Pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta) is typically dark brown to grayish-black, thin, and scaly, often appearing furrowed or fissured, especially on older trees, and can be somewhat twisted, reflecting the tree's wind-swept coastal habitat. Its texture can range from flaky to corky, sometimes forming irregular patterns as it ages.
Shore pine needles are short, stiff, dark green to yellowish-green, and grow in distinctive pairs (fascicles of two), often appearing twisted and giving the tree a rugged look, typically 1.5 to 3 inches long. They're shiny, pointed, and clumped together on short shoots, persisting for several years, unlike many other pines that shed more frequently.