Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
ponderosa pine
Family Name:
Pinaceae
Botanical Name:
Pinus ponderosa
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The ponderosa pine is an evergreen that can grow to be 60 to 100 feet tall under cultivation with a 25 to 30 foot spread. In a healthy forest, that size can be doubled. It grows in an irregular, cylindrical crown shape with a narrow, straight trunk. The bark of the mature ponderosa pine is russet colored, thick, and scaly with black grooves. Needles are sharp and occur in bundles of three and can be four to ten inches long. Buds are usually about one inch long and red-brown. Male cones are small, orange- yellow, and occur at the top of the tree, while female cones can be three to five inches long and produce winged seeds the fall after flowering. (1)
Compound:
Pin pon
Geographic Origin:
Mountain Southwest
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Ponderosa pine is native to the mountainous regions of North America, especially the West Coast of Canada and the United States. It can also be found in temperate climates around the world. (3)
Cultivation Notes:
The tree grows in soils ranging from rocky to sandy and shallow to deep, although it has a low tolerance for alkalinity. Different cultivars are adapted to different climates, but most Ponderosas withstand very cold winters and can flourish in warm summers. They grow best with 30 to 60 cm average annual precipitation on well-drained soils. (2)
Ethnobotany:
This pine was used almost in its entirety by Native American tribes. The trunks were used as logs for firewood, houses, canoes, fences, and shoes. The bark was used as roofing and as food. Needles were used for many different medicinal purposes, including dermatological aids and cough and fever suppressants. They were also used for ceremonial purposes. The pitch of the pine trees was used as ointment for muscular pain, inflammation reduction, treating sores and scabs, and as a sleeping agent for infants. Native Americans consumed most parts of the tree, including pitch, seeds, cones, bark, buds, and cambium.
Height:
50 - 100 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Color:
Function:
Spread:
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Water Use:
Citations:
- "Ponderosa Pine." NDSU Agriculture Handbook. North Dakota State University, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.]
- "Ponderosa Pine." Range Plants of Utah. Utah State University, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012.]
- Wennerberg, S (2004). Ponderosa Pine. USDA NCRS Plant Guide . Retrieved fromhttp://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_pipo.pdf]
- USDA NCRS Plant Guide
