It is used to make attractive wood furniture. The colorful, mature wood has pale yellow to orange-brown heartwood with nearly white sapwood. Knotty pine paneling is made from young ponderosas. Use by People: As a timber tree, it is perhaps second only to Douglas Fir in current use. As with other pine species, cuttings are possible only when taken from very young trees. Once the cones open, the seeds can be shaken out. The cones need to be collected before they open and allowed to dry. Cones mature in August the following year seed dispersal begins in September. Phenology: Bloom Period: May to Mid-June. In the Landscape: A Ponderosa Pine may be too big for a small garden, but it can make an impressive addition to a large garden or park. The cones are 3 to 6 inches long with each scale tipped with a stiff prickle. The needles form tufts at the end of branches and are usually in bundles of three, but sometimes there may only be two in a bundle. Wetland designation: FACU-, Facultative upland, it usually occurs in non-wetlands.ĭiagnostic Characters: These trees are easily recognized by their cinnamon-colored bark that breaks apart in large jigsaw puzzle-like pieces. That is one reason why mature trees are often found in dry, open grassy sites where fires are common. Smaller trees and underbrush are more susceptible. Habitat: Mature Ponderosa Pines are very fire resistant due to their thick bark and high crowns. Typically, they grow rapidly to 90-150 feet (30-45m) and live for about 600 years. The tallest are over 220 feet (65m) tall. Growth: The biggest Ponderosas surviving today are in the Sierra Nevadas and Siskiyous. There is also a small population at Fort Lewis near Tacoma. They are also found on drier sites on the west side of the Cascades in Oregon. In the Pacific Northwest, we are most familiar with seeing these awesome trees on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. )ĭistibution: Ponderosa Pine is common throughout the west, from British Columbia to California and Montana to Mexico. Distribution of Ponderosa Pine from USGS ( “Atlas of United States Trees” by Elbert L.
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