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The Jack Pine lacks the size impressive size offered by Algonquin Highlands’ White and Red Pines. Actually most people may not even recognize it as a pine at all. This untidy pine rarely reaches more than 15 metres or a trunk diameter of 25 cm. The Jack Pine is the provincial tree for the Northwest Territories.
This territorial tree is predominately found in the northeast. Their growth on the west side of Algonquin Highlands is fairly sporadic, where on the east the Jack Pine becomes a more dominating tree. Due to the climatic difference of the warmer, drier, low-lying areas of the east makes the difference of virtual absence and great abundance.
The Jack Pine, like the other two Algonquin pines, begins production of seeds at 5-10 years, but along with its desired looks, the reproduction of seeds also has its own unique twist. While the White and Red Pine produce some sort of seed every year, with exceptional crops every three to seven years, the Jack Pines’ cone will remain closed until the time is right for reproduction. The cone requires a high temperature in order to open. This heat is usually provided by fire, but hot, dry weather can also release the seeds. The effective range of the Jack Pine seeds is between 30 to 40 metres.
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