Whitebark Pine is a subalpine and treeline conifer of western mountains that has suffered catastrophic declines from white pine blister rust and mountain pine beetle. It has a mutualistic relationship with Clark's nutcracker: the bird caches seeds as winter food, and the trees regenerate from overlooked caches. Grizzly bears depend heavily on the high-fat seeds in fall.
Best time to see a Whitebark Pine
The best time to see a Whitebark Pine is June–August, when about 72% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 6,116 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Whitebark Pine? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Whitebark Pine sightings near you
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