Ponderosa Pine - (Pinus ponderosa)
A PNW staple, the fast-growing Ponderosa Pine features remarkable size and structure. Growing rapidly to upwards of 100 ft, these trees can live for hundreds of years. Needles up to 10 inches long grow in clusters of 3 along stubby branches. The tree sheds lower limbs to keep a lofted crown atop a clean trunk, showcasing orange scaled bark which provides habitat and food sources for many species. Ponderosa Pine demonstrates incredible fire resistance and moderate drought resistance once established. Young plants should be cleared from competing vegetation for the first few years and intermittently watered during dry summers. Requires drainage, does not tolerate soggy conditions, but can grow in rocky terrain, making it an excellent choice for erosion control. Ponderosa Pines form classic 3-5" cones which produce seeds that many species consume. Ponderosa Pine is used by Native American peoples for food, medicine, ceremony, and building materials. The plant gives off a distinctly sweet scent, described like vanilla or butterscotch, concentrated in bark that has been warmed by the sun.
*Full Sun to Part Sun.
*Requires well-drained soil, tolerant of rocky conditions.
*90-150 feet tall
*Sold Bare Root
*Fire Friendly, extended range, 30-100+ ft
*Sold in a bundle of 10
*Keep planting area cleared of other plants until the tree exceeds the height of competing plants.
Image Attribution:
1. bradenjudson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
2. © "Ponderosa pine" by pancaketom via Canva.com
3. Dcrjsr, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
4. © "Ponderosa Pine Forest in Autumn" by cascoly via Canva.com