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Pine, Ponderosa
Pinus ponderosa |
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Ponderosa Pine is also called Western Yellow Pine for the orange,
platey bark of mature trees. These stately pines with straight trunks
and open crowns may reach 200 feet tall in the wild. They are native
to mountains and mesas throughout the western half of North America,
from Oklahoma to British Columbia. |
Height: 50’
Crown Spread: 25’
Growth Rate: moderate
Foliage: dark green needles four to six inches long
in bundles of three
Fruit: red-brown cones are three to five inches long with recurving
prickle at the end of each scale
Soil: tolerant of almost all conditions, except flooded
or compacted soils
Water: low
Sun: full
Problems: dwarf mistletoe and bark beetles (if stressed
by crowding or drought)
Comments: Ponderosa pines are large trees that need
lots of room and have deep tap roots. In mature trees, the bark smells
like vanilla.
Street Tree: limited use due to large size at maturity |
