is a common tree in western North America.[3] It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpine, but is rare in lowland rain forests.[4][5] Like all pines (member species of the genus Pinus), it is an evergreen conifer.
Depending on subspecies, Pinus contorta grows as an evergreen shrub or tree. The shrub form is krummholz and is approximately 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 ft) high. The thin and narrow-crowned tree is 40 to 50 m (130 to 160 ft) high and can achieve up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in diameter at chest height.[18] The murrayana subspecies is the tallest. The crown is rounded and the top of the tree is flattened. In dense forests, the tree has a slim, conical crown. The formation of twin trees is common in some populations in British Columbia. The elastic branches stand upright or overhang and are difficult to break. The branches are covered with short shoots that are easy to remove.[5][19][20]
The species name is contorta because of the twisted, bent pines found at coastal areas and the tree's twisted needles.[13][21][22] Pinus contorta is occasionally known under several English names: black pine, scrub pine, and coast pine.[23][24] P. contorta subsp. latifolia will hybridise with the closely related Jack pine (Pinus banksiana).