PNW Native
Ponderosa pine grows up to 268 ft tall and are commonly found at 175 ft tall. Needles are 4-10 in. long in bunches of 3, yellow-green, and cluster at the end of tree branches. Cones are 3-6 in. long. Young trees have dark brown bark that becomes much lighter, thicker, and scalier in patches of bark that flake and fall off in mature trees. Range extends from S. British Columbia to S. California and from the Pacific coast to the Rockies. (3)
Ponderosas have an incredibly distinct burnt-sweet aroma, resembling vanilla, butterscotch, caramel, and burnt toast during warm weather. It prefers dry and hotter environments, and grows on the eastern side of coastal ranges and dry, low elevations along the west coast (2)
Ponderosa pines are intrinsically linked to the cycle of forest/brush fires due to simultaneously being the most fire-resistant tree in western N. America and having dry needles that are highly flammable and cause fires. Mature ponderosas often have burn scars along their trunks that appear every 3-20 years, yet young ponderosa saplings cannot survive the fires. The regular weeding of underbrush and smaller conifers by forest fire allowed wide, spread-out ponderosa stands to flourish. Colonization of the Pacific Northwest has led to ponderosa pine forests becoming overcrowded, causing a thick understory in dry environments. The overcrowding leads trees to compete for resources, causing many of them to be prone to disease and insect infestation. The overcrowding of ponderosa forests also causes fires to quickly spread between the dry, sickly trees, leading to the high-severity, stand-destroying megafires seen today. (3)
The inner bark (cambium) of ponderosa pines and pine nuts was eaten in the spring by interior tribes. Mature trees were used to make dugout canoes, houseposts, and house planks and the wood was used to carve/create implements such as shovel handles and blades. Ponderosa pines were also useful in fire starting, and pitchwood for torches, dried needle tinder, and the tops of firedrills were all made out of the tree. Salves for burns and sores were made out of the pitch. (4) The Nez Perce and Crow tribes used the pine pitch as glue and firestarter, and made a blue dye from the roots. (1)
Ponderosa pines are very lucrative and are the most prized tinder provider on the west coast, and pine boards are made into a wide array of wooden products such as cabinets and molding. Mature, old-growth trees provide the best timber, whereas younger, lower-quality logs are used for construction. (1) The selective logging of old-growth ponderosa pines has caused massive ecological devastation due to forest fires, causing financial losses. Health of current ponderosa forests depends ironically on thinning out the overgrown forests followed by prescribed controlled fires, however logging companies often take advantage of thinning and cut down more large trees than necessary. Old-growth ponderosa pines are now a rarity, and should not be cut down or used for lumber. (3)
Ponderosas are a choice drought-resistant ornamental, especially in the plains/grasslands when used as a windbreak. (1)
