Lodgepole pine is adapted to high mountain slopes at elevations usually above 6,000 feet. Reproduction is best attained in areas that have been cleared either by man's activity or as a result of fire.

Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine produces serotinous cones which do not open at maturity because they are sealed shut by a resinous bond between the cone scales. These cones remain on the tree for years and require temperatures between 113 and 140 degrees F (45-60 C) to melt the resin and release the seed. In nature, only forest fires generate temperatures of this magnitude within a tree's crown.