A nod of thanks to “yweride”, a contributor on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for submitting this image. A larger image is available in this thread. Thank you, yweride.
Oregon State University's Landscape Plants has an entry on 'Chief Joseph' lodgepole pine that includes a very brief history of the discovery of this selection, as well as a summer vs. winter comparison. I note with fond memories that it was discovered in the Wallowa Mountains, a place I'm itching to return to after having visited it all-too-briefly seven years ago.
I'm going to speculate that the yellow winter colour is due to both an increased concentration of the pigment xanthophyll and a corresponding decline in the chlorophyll, but if I'm wrong, someone please correct me. I wasn't able to find any references to support my speculation.
WOW! My favourite colour.
Nice PIC BLOKE.
Yellow foliage forms of P. sylvestris also become more yellow in winter. Van Dusen Botanical Display Garden used to have several P. sylvestris 'Aurea' in the heather garden. Perhaps they are still there.
Daniel,
Great post. Very interesting to read the (albeit brief) history of this tree. Reminds me of the fascinating tale of the golden spruce which is a must read book for anyone interested in plants or Pacific Northwest folklore. The exact title is "The Golden Spruce- the true story of myth madness and greed" by John Vaillant. If I am not mistaken someone a UBCBG is propagating the golden spruce?
dweir - you might like to see this entry re: the golden spruce!