Ponderosa Pine
(Pinus ponderosa)
Plant Distribution Height: Mature Ponderosas grow from 30 to 50 meters tall with some larger trees being measure up to 81 meters
Leaf and Bark Type:
Ponderosas have needles in bunches of threes that grow from 5 to 50 inches long and smell of turpentine and citrus when crushed. The bark of the tree can be described as knotty but clear and even grained.
Where does it grow and in what conditions:
Ponderosa is a western pine and its growth is associated with moutainous topography. It can be found in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central and southern Rocky Moutains; in the Cascade Range; in the Sierra Nevada; and in the maritime influenced Coast Range. The range of the ponderosa extends from southern Canada into Mexico. These pines grow from soils derived from igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary parent materials. It grows in soils from a pH of 4.9 to 9.1 and in a viriety of soil moistures.
Pollinators:
These pines are wind pollinated.
Cones:
The cones aer oval shaped and grow from 3 to 6 inches long and are a red-brown color with a stiff prickle at the end.
Uses: These pines are used to make doors, windows, furniture, paneling and shelving. American Indians would eat the seeds and inner bark, dig out logs for canoes and use the pitch as waterprooofing and ointment.
