Limber Pine

Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) is a high-elevation conifer of the subalpine and treeline zones in Banff National Park. It grows with whitebark pine and subalpine larch at the upper limit of trees.

Identification: Stunted, often twisted trunk; needles in fives (like whitebark); cones with thick scales that open on the tree (unlike whitebark). Branches are flexible (“limber”); hence the name. Cones pendulous; seeds winged.

Habitat: Upper subalpine and treeline (2,000–2,400 m); often on rocky, wind-scoured slopes. Prefers dry, open sites. Grows with whitebark pine, subalpine fir, and Engelmann spruce.

Ecology: Seeds dispersed by wind and Clark’s nutcracker. Threatened by white pine blister rust; less severely affected than whitebark pine. Long-lived; some individuals exceed 1,000 years.