Shade tolerant with less demanding seedbed requirements than many associates, it readily establishes under a canopy of hardwoods and conifers. Usually common in understory beneath pines, aspen, and paper birch. In the continued absence of fire, may assume dominance as the canopy of the pioneering trees begins to die off. With thin, resinous, easily ignitable bark, shallow roots, and seeds without protective endosperm, most fires kill the tree and destroy the seeds. It can reestablish only if surviving seed trees are present, making it a rare postfire pioneer.
Fire creates seedbeds favorable for germination and establishment.
If seed is available, it establishes readily on burned sites. Suppression in spruce budworm killed stands is extremely difficult. These hot fires transport large amounts of peeling bark, fine twigs, and branchlets in convection columns which start spot fires downwind. Decay after fire rather slow. However, budworm killed trees quickly succumb to wood rotting fungi.