Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Lodgepole Pine

Just a shot of the tip of a branch of a Lodgepole Pine tree on the acreage at Janel Butler's (and family) farm on 16th May, where we spent a good part of the day botanizing. Looks like a spider had been playing Cat's Cradle with it's delicate web, LOL. Gotta dash (again!), as I am spending the whole day at the Zoo with my oldest daughter. She has been recovering from surgery and was desperate to get out for a few hours.

The cones on a Lodgepole Pine turn inwards on the branches, looking towards the trunk of the tree. Just a simple shot but, hey, I am always happy when I get a blurred background, LOL! This is the provincial tree of Alberta. These are female cones, and there are small prickles on the scales of female cones. "One of the most drought tolerant of our native conifers..... Cones are short cylindrical to egg-shaped, curved away from branches, 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in.) long, remain on trees for many years. Scales armed with a small prickle." www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex998 ? "The most common and abundant tree in the Rocky Mountains and foothill regions. Occurring on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains where it frequently forms dense even-aged stands as the result of fire. In areas adjacent to jack pine, the two species integrate." www.abtreegene.com/trees.html plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/lodgepole-pine/lod... We were out for a good part of the day today on a beautiful walk, north west of the city, in a huge Provincial Park that is yet not open to the public (and probably won't be for another 1-3 years?). It's called the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and is incredibly beautiful land. Will add a link to information about it when I get home this evening - I'm about to dash out down a few gravel backroads : ) I can't take one more step, so driving a car sounds just what I need. Rain and cloud are in the forecast for the next four days, and the sun that I saw ten minutes ago seems to have already disappeared. Better dash out while it is still dry.