Bark is smooth and light gray when young, becoming grayish-brown and deeply furrowed into almost square, scaly plates. The limber pine is native to the Rocky Mountains from Canada to northern New Mexico, but not abundant anywhere in its range. It grows well in northwestern Iowa and on the ISU Campus. This pine is found on dry, rocky ridges and peaks. It has a large taproot and is remarkably windfirm.
Growth is best on moist, well-drained soils in full sun.
Damage is caused by fire, white pine blister rust, bark beetles, budworms and dwarf mistletoe. The wood is a pale yellow color, becoming reddish on exposure to air. It is light, soft, close-grained and generally harvested without distinction from ponderosa pine. The wood is relatively unimportant, but is used for boxes, railroad ties, poles and mine timbers. It is used locally for firewood.