BOTANY 099 SERIES
These caches will take you to the places where specific trees,
shrubs, vines or plants can be identified. The individual cache
might be in or right next to the described plant, or only close
enough for the plant to be seen from the cache site. Can you learn
both the “common name” and the scientific name?
More caches in the series to come shortly.
Lodgepole Pine
This pine is more variable than most pines in its general shape,
trunk and branching. When in the open and not crowded, it grows
somewhat pear shaped with many large upward reaching branches, but
when in dense stands it will grow a long straight trunk with a few
low branches and more on the higher parts of the trunk.
This tall type gives it the name "Lodgepole Pine" as native
Americans used the long straight trunks for poles for tepees and
their travois.
The needles of this pine are usually two in a bundle and
about 2 to 3 inches in length. This pine is much smaller than
Ponderosa pine - only 20 to 40 feet high and smaller in diameter as
well. The scientific name is Pinus contorta.
Cache is in a camouflaged (paint) plastic jar about 5 X 8-10
inches in diameter.