Pinus ponderosa
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Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the ponderosa pine or western yellow pine,<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021"/><ref>Template:PLANTS</ref> is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the most widely distributed pine species in North America.<ref name="NRVYP">Safford, H.D. 2013. Natural Range of Variation (NRV) for yellow pine and mixed conifer forests in the bioregional assessment area, including the Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades, and Modoc and Inyo National Forests. Unpublished report. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Vallejo, CA, [1]</ref>Template:Rp
Pinus ponderosa grows in various erect forms from through 16 western U.S. states as well as British Columbia in Canada and has been introduced in temperate regions of Europe and in New Zealand. It was first documented in modern science in 1826 in eastern Washington near present-day Spokane (of which it is the official city tree).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On that occasion, David Douglas misidentified it as Pinus resinosa (red pine). In 1829, Douglas concluded that he had a new pine among his specimens and coined the name Pinus ponderosa<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> for its heavy wood. In 1836, it was formally named and described by Charles Lawson, a Scottish nurseryman.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was adopted as the official state tree of Montana<ref name="montana">Template:Cite web</ref> in 1949.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other vernacular names that have been used for the species are "bull pine" and "blackjack pine", but these are general woodsmans terms applied to growth stages of several different pines, rather than specific to Pinus ponderosa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" />
Description
Pinus ponderosa is a large coniferous pine (evergreen) tree. The bark helps distinguish it from other species. Mature to overmature individuals have yellow to orange-red bark in broad to very broad plates with black crevices.<ref name=":0" /> Younger trees have blackish-brown bark,<ref name=":0" /> referred to as "blackjacks" by early loggers. The five varieties or subspecies, as classified by some botanists, can be identified by their characteristically bright-green needles (contrasting with blue-green needles that distinguish Jeffrey pine). The Pacific subspecies has the longest at Template:Convert and most flexible needles in plume-like fascicles of three, and green immature cones. The North Plateau or Columbia ponderosa pine has long Template:Cvt and relatively flexible needles in fascicles of three, and purple immature cones. The Rocky Mountains subspecies has shorter Template:Cvt and stouter needles growing in bushy, tuft-like fascicles of two or three, and usually green immature cones (but purple at high altitudes). The southwestern subspecies has stout needles Template:Cvt long, in fascicles of three (averaging Template:Convert). The central High Plains subspecies is characterized by the fewest branches (1.4 per whorl, on average; stout, upright branches at narrow angles from the trunk; and long green needles Template:Cvt extending farthest along the branch, resembling a fox tail. Needles are widest, stoutest, and fewest (averaging Template:Cvt) for the species.<ref name= RP-264>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=RP-265>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The egg-shaped cones, which are often found in great number under trees, are Template:Convert long.<ref name=":0" /> Each scale has a sharp point.<ref name=":0" />
Sources differ on the scent of P. ponderosa. Some state that the bark smells of turpentine, which could reflect the dominance of terpenes (alpha- and beta-pinenes, as well as delta-3-carene).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Others state that it has no distinctive scent,<ref name="schoenherr">Template:Cite book</ref> while still others state that the bark smells like vanilla if sampled from a furrow.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Sources agree that the Jeffrey pine is more strongly scented than the ponderosa pine.<ref name="schoenherr" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When carved into, pitch-filled stumps emit a scent of fresh pitch.<ref name=":0" />
Size
The National Register of Big Trees lists a ponderosa pine that is Template:Convert tall and Template:Cvt in circumference.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2011, a Pacific ponderosa pine in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon was measured with a laser to be Template:Cvt high. The measurement was performed by Michael Taylor and Mario Vaden, a professional arborist from Oregon. The tree was climbed on 13 October 2011, by Ascending The Giants (a tree-climbing company in Portland, Oregon) and directly measured with tape-line at Template:Cvt high.<ref>Template:Gymnosperm Database</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2015, a Pinus lambertiana specimen was measured at Template:Cvt,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which surpassed the ponderosa pine previously considered the world's tallest pine tree.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Taxonomy
Pinus ponderosa was scientifically described and named by Charles Lawson working from information provided by David Douglas in 1836.<ref name="POWO P ponderosa" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The taxonomy of the ponderosa pine is heavily disputed by botanists and foresters. In a pair of research papers in 2013 for the US Forest Service, Robert Z. Callaham concluded that it is a single species from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast divided into five subspecies.<ref name="RP-264" /><ref name="RP-265" /> However, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS) lists these as varieties Template:As of.<ref name="NRCS">Template:Cite usda plants</ref> In the World Plants database maintained by Michael Hassler only three varieties are recognized, one described in 2024.<ref name="World Plants">Template:Cite web</ref> On the other hand the World Flora Online (WFO) lists just two varieties.<ref>Template:Cite WFO</ref> The Plants of the World Online (POWO) lists four varieties, but separates out two other taxa recognized as varieties as species.<ref name="POWO P ponderosa">Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref name="POWO P scopulorum">Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref name="POWO P brachyptera">Template:Cite POWO</ref> Similarly to POWO Christopher J. Earle writes in the Gymnosperm Database that the ponderosa pine has three subspecies and recognizes two taxa as species.<ref name="GD1">Template:Cite web</ref> In the Flora of North America (FNA) three varieties are recognized.<ref name="FNA P ponderosa">Template:Cite web</ref>
Subspecies and varieties
- Pinus ponderosa subsp. benthamiana (Hartw.) Silba, syn. Pinus benthamiana Hartw., Pinus ponderosa var. benthamiana (Hartw.) Vasey, Pinus ponderosa subsp. critchfieldiana Callaham (nom. superfl.), Pinus ponderosa var. pacifica J.R.Haller & Vivrette (nom. superfl.) – Pacific ponderosa pine<ref name="GRIN benthamiana">Template:Cite web</ref>
- The Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Oregon west of the Cascade Range, the whole of California, and far western Nevada, at Template:Cvt on coastal-draining slopes of major mountain ranges. This is recognized by GRIN and PLANTS as the correct name for Callaham's subspecies critchfieldiana.<ref name="GRIN benthamiana"/><ref name="NRCS var benthamiana">Template:Cite usda plants</ref> It is also accepted by POWO but at varietal rank,<ref name="POWO P ponderosa" /> but is currently considered a synonym of var. ponderosa by both World Plants and WFO.<ref name="World Plants" /><ref name="WFO var ponderosa">Template:Cite WFO</ref> Both Callaham,<ref name= RP-264/> and Haller & Vivrette,<ref name="Jepson var pacifica">Template:Cite web</ref> cited Hartweg's older name benthamiana in the synonymies of their new names, thus making them both invalid nomina superflua under Article 52<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> of the ICN. Despite this, POWO currently accepts var. pacifica.<ref name="POWO var pacifica">Template:Cite POWO</ref>
- Pinus ponderosa subsp. brachyptera (Engelm.) Silba, syn. Pinus brachyptera Engelm., Pinus ponderosa var. brachyptera (Engelm.) Lemmon – southwestern ponderosa pine<ref name="GRIN brachyptera">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="NRCS var brachyptera">Template:Cite usda plants</ref>
- Four corners transition zone, including southern Colorado, southern Utah, northern and central New Mexico and Arizona, westernmost Texas, and a single small population in the far northwestern Oklahoma panhandle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Gila Wilderness contains one of the largest and healthiest forests.<ref>Template:WWF ecoregion</ref> Hot with bimodal monsoonal rainfall; wet winters and summers contrast with dry springs and falls; mild to cold winters. This taxon is recognized by Callaham and GRIN as a subspecies, and in PLANTS at varietal rank,<ref name="NRCS var brachyptera" /> but is considered a synonym of var. scopulorum by WFO and FNA,<ref name="WFO var scopulorum">Template:Cite WFO</ref><ref name="FNA var scopulorum">Template:Cite web</ref> of var. ponderosa by World Plants,<ref name="World Plants" /> and as the species Pinus brachyptera by POWO.<ref name="POWO P brachyptera" />
- Pinus ponderosa subsp. ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson – North plateau ponderosa pine, Columbia ponderosa pine<ref name="GRIN ponderosa">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name= RP-264/>
- This is the autonymic subspecies of the species.<ref name="GRIN ponderosa"/><ref name="POWO P ponderosa" /> Its range depends upon how many other taxa are combined with it. When treated as distinct as in Callaham, GRIN and the Jepson Herbarium,<ref name=Jepson>Template:Jepson eFlora</ref> its range is from southeast British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon east of the Cascade Range to northeast California and western Nevada east of the Sierra Nevada, and in Idaho and western Montana.<ref name= RP-264/> This area has cool, relatively moist summers; very cold, snowy winters (except in the very hot and very dry summers of central Oregon, most notably near Bend, which also has very cold and generally dry winters).<ref name=Jepson/><ref>Template:PLANTS</ref> As combined with subsp. benthamiana as in FNA it extends further south into California, but their treatment excludes western Montana.<ref name="FNA var ponderosa">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Pinus ponderosa subsp. scopulorum (Engelm.) A.E.Murray, syn. Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum Engelm., Pinus scopulorum (Engelm.) Lemmon – Rocky Mountains ponderosa pine<ref name="GRIN scopulorum">Template:Cite web</ref>
- This is recognized by Callaham and GRIN as a subspecies, and by WFO as a variety,<ref name="WFO var scopulorum" /> PLANTS,<ref>Template:Cite usda plants</ref> World Plants,<ref name="World Plants" /> and the FNA.<ref name="FNA var scopulorum" /> It is considered a separate species by POWO.<ref name="POWO P scopulorum" /> The distribution of this taxa differs depending on its definition, being very widespread in the FNA's old, broad circumscription,<ref name="FNA var scopulorum" /> and much more restricted by Callaham and in GRIN and POWO.<ref name= RP-264/><ref name="GRIN scopulorum"/><ref name="POWO P scopulorum" />
- Pinus ponderosa subsp. readiana Callaham – Central High Plains ponderosa pine<ref name="GRIN readiana">Template:Cite web</ref>
- This is recognized by Callaham and GRIN as a subspecies, but not accepted by any of the other authorities, who all include its distribution mapped by Callaham within subsp./var. scopulorum. It includes the populations in southern South Dakota, Nebraska, and southeast Wyoming at lower altitudes on drier sites than typical of scopulorum.<ref name="RP-264" />
Distributions of the subspecies in Canada and the United States are shown on the map. Distribution of ponderosa pine is from Critchfield and Little.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Before the distinctions between the North Plateau and Pacific taxa were fully documented, most botanists assumed that ponderosa pines in both areas were the same. In 1948, when a botanist and a geneticist from California found a distinct tree on Mount Rose in western Nevada with some marked differences from the ponderosa pine they knew in California, they described it as a new species, Washoe pine Pinus washoensis H.Mason & Stockw. Subsequent research determined this to be one of the southernmost outliers of the typical North Plateau race of ponderosa pine.<ref name="RP-264" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Trees of the North Plateau ponderosa indistinguishable from washoensis can be found as far north as Promontory Hill near Merritt in British Columbia in Canada.<ref name="Brayshaw">Template:Cite journal</ref> Some authors accept it as a valid variety Pinus ponderosa var. washoensis (H.Mason & Stockw.) J.R. Haller & Vivrette,<ref name="calflorawashoensis">Template:Calflora</ref><ref name="jepsonwashoensis" /><ref name="usdawashoensis" /> while others treat it without distinction as a synonym of subsp./var. ponderosa.<ref name="RP-264" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It has been reported from Template:Cvt, in upper mixed-conifer to lower subalpine habitats.<ref name="jepsonwashoensis">Template:Jepson eFlora</ref><ref name="usdawashoensis">Template:PLANTS</ref>
An additional possible variety, not formally described but colloquially named Willamette Valley ponderosa pine, is found in the Willamette Valley in western Oregon, where it is rare.<ref name="hcn12">Template:Cite journal</ref> This is likely just one of the many islands of Pacific subspecies of ponderosa pine occurring in the Willamette Valley and extending north to the southeast end of Puget Sound in Washington.<ref name="GD2">Template:Cite web</ref>
The closely related five-needled Arizona pine (Pinus arizonica) extends southward into Mexico. It was formerly often treated as another variety, as Pinus ponderosa var. arizonica (Engelm.) Shaw,<ref name="FNA P ponderosa" /> but is now generally recognized as a separate species.<ref>Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref>Template:Cite WFO</ref>
Distinguishing subspecies
The subspecies of P. ponderosa can be distinguished by measurements along several dimensions:<ref name="RP-264" />Template:Rp<ref name="RP-265" />Template:Rp
| Common name | Pacific | North Plateau | Rocky Mountains | Southwestern | Central High Plains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | P. p. benthamiana | P. p. ponderosa | P. p. scopulorum | P. p. brachyptera | P. p. readiana |
| Years needles remain green | 3.9±0.25, N=30 | 4.7±0.14, N=50 | 5.7±0.28, N=23 | 4.3±0.18, N=24 | 4.7±0.18, N=5 |
| Foliage length on branch (cm) | 25.1±2.4, N=30 | 26.2±2.2, N=50 | 21.1±1.7, N=23 | 21.8±2.7, N=24 | 42.2±6.7, N=5 |
| Needle length (cm) | 19.8±0.44, N=30 | 16.8±0.29, N=48 | 11.2±0.27, N=23 | 14.7±0.45, N=24 | 15.6±0.57, N=5 |
| Needles per fascicle | 3.0±0.00, N=30 | 3.0±0.00, N=48 | 2.6±0.06, N=23 | 3.0±0.03, N=24 | 2.4±0.11, N=5 |
| Needle thickness | 45.9±0.49, N=30 | 47.8±0.51, N=48 | 46.4±0.68, N=23 | 44.8±0.87, N=24 | 49.7±0.61, N=5 |
| Branches per whorl | 4.4±0.13, N=30 | 3.7±0.11, N=50 | 3.0±0.17, N=23 | 3.4±0.25, N=23 | 2.3±0.11, N=5 |
| Branch angle (° from vertical) | 56±1.8, N=30 | 51±1.7, N=50 | 50±2.3, N=23 | 48±3.1, N=24 | 36±1.9, N=5 |
| Seed cones length (mm) | 101.4±2.48, N=25 | 88.7±1.24, N=36 | 70.7±2.20, N=22 | 74.9±2.51, N=20 | 71.1±2.46, N=5 |
| Seed cones width (mm) | 77.1±1.35, N=25 | 71.6±0.73, N=36 | 61.5±1.08, N=22 | 62.6±1.77, N=20 | 63.3±2.18, N=5 |
| Seed cone form W/L | 0.80±0.03, N=25 | 0.84±0.03, N=36 | 0.90±0.02, N=22 | 0.86±0.02, N=20 | 0.90±0.03, N=5 |
| Seed length (mm) | 7.5±0.08, N=23 | 7.6±0.16, N=14 | 6.3±0.09, N=17 | 6.4±0.18, N=16 | 7.0±0.12, N=5 |
| Seed width (mm) | 4.9±0.05, N=23 | 4.9±0.08, N=14 | 4.1±0.05, N=17 | 4.3±0.09, N=16 | 4.5±0.10, N=5 |
| Seed + wing length (mm) | 32.3±0.58, N=23 | 24.8±0.62, N=14 | 22.9±0.63, N=17 | 23.3±0.68, N=15 | 23.1±0.78, N=5 |
| Immature cone color<ref>Smith, R. H. (1981). "Variation in cone color of immature ponderosa pine (Pinaceae) in northern California and southern Oregon". Madroño 28: 272–275.</ref> | apple green to yellow green | red-brown to dark purple | green; "above 2,500 to 3,000 m, some trees have distinctly purple cones"<ref name="RP-264" /> |
green | green |
Notes
Names of taxa and transition zones are on the map.
Numbers in columns were derived from multiple measurements of samples taken from 10 (infrequently fewer) trees on a varying number of geographically dispersed plots.
Numbers in each cell show calculated mean ± standard error and number of plots.
Distribution
Pinus ponderosa is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association, the ponderosa shrub forest. Like most western pines, the ponderosa is generally associated with mountainous topography. However, it is found on banks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska. Scattered stands occur in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and in the Okanagan Valley and Puget Sound areas of Washington. Stands occur throughout low level valleys in British Columbia reaching as far north as the Thompson, Fraser and Columbia watersheds. In its Northern limits, it grows only below Template:Convert elevation, but is most common below Template:Convert. Ponderosa covers Template:Convert, or 80%,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> of the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is found on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central, and southern Rocky Mountains, in the Cascade Range, in the Sierra Nevada, and in the maritime-influenced Coast Range. In Arizona, it predominates on the Mogollon Rim and is scattered on the Mogollon Plateau and on mid-height peaks (Template:Convert) in Arizona and New Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Arizona pine (P. arizonica), found in the mountains of extreme southwestern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and northern Mexico, is sometimes classified as a variety of ponderosa pine, but is presently recognized as a separate species.<ref>Template:Silvics</ref> Ponderosa pine are also found in the Chisos, Davis, and Guadalupe Mountains of Texas, at elevations between Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ecology
Template:Main The fire cycle for ponderosa pine is 5 to 10 years, in which a natural ignition sparks a low-intensity fire.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Low, once-a-decade fires are known to have helped specimens live for half a millennium or more.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> The tree has thick bark, and its buds are protected by needles, allowing even some younger individuals to survive weaker fires.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to being adapted to dry, fire-affected areas, the species often appears on the edges of deserts as it is comparatively drought resistant, partly due to the ability to close its leaf pores.<ref name=":0" /> It can also draw some of its water from sandy soils.<ref name=":0" /> Despite being relatively widespread in the American West, it is intolerant of shade.<ref name=":0" />
Pinus ponderosa needles are the only known food of the caterpillars of the gelechiid moth Chionodes retiniella.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Blue stain fungus, Grosmannia clavigera, is introduced in sapwood of P. ponderosa from the galleries of all species in the genus Dendroctonus (mountain pine beetle), which has caused much damage. Western pine and other beetles can be found consuming the bark.<ref name="USDA">Template:Cite book</ref> The seeds are eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, quail, grouse, and Clark's nutcracker, while mule deer browse the seedlings.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Various animals nest in the ponderosa pines, such as the pileated woodpecker.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Pathology
Pinus ponderosa is affected by Armillaria, Phaeolus schweinitzii, Fomes pini, Atropellis canker, dwarf mistletoe, Polyporus anceps, Verticicladiella, Elytroderma needle cast, and western gall rust.<ref name="USDA" />
As an invasive species
Pinus ponderosa is classed as a "wilding pine" and spreads as an invasive species throughout the high country of New Zealand, where it is beginning to take over, causing the native species of plants not to be able to grow in those locations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is also considered a "weed" in parts of Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Uses
Native Americans consumed the seeds and sweet inner bark. They chewed the dried pitch, which was also used as a salve. They used the limbs and branches as firewood and building material, and the trunks were carved into canoes. The needles and roots were made into baskets. The needles were also boiled into a solution to treat coughs and fevers.<ref name=":0" />
Commercial Uses
Ponderosa pine has long been an important commercial timber species in western North America, valued for its versatile wood. In both the United States and Canada (primarily British Columbia), ponderosa pine forests have been harvested for lumber and other wood products since the 19th century.<ref name="LoweryFPL">David P. Lowery. Ponderosa Pine: An American Wood. Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Ponderosa Pine PDF</ref><ref name="BCGovPonderosa">Government of British Columbia. Ponderosa Pine. 25 January 2024. Website</ref> Old-growth trees were widely used by settlers as lumber, including for railroads. The wood is pale yellow to light brown, straight-grained, and moderately soft, making it suitable for a wide range of applications in construction and manufacturing.<ref name="WWPAPonderosa">Western Wood Products Association. Ponderosa Pine. PDF</ref> Younger trees are of poor quality for lumber due to the tendency to warp.<ref name=":0" />
Structural lumber
Ponderosa pine is extensively used as dimensional lumber in light construction. Its timber is easily milled and was one of the first western woods shipped in quantity to eastern markets in the early 20th century.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> Common construction uses have included framing (studs and joists), roof decking, and sheathing in houses where only moderate strength is required.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> By the mid-20th century, annual production of ponderosa pine lumber was very high; for example, harvests exceeded 3 billion board feet per year by the late 1930s and peaked at over 4 billion board feet in 1941.<ref name="LoweryFPL" />
In addition to sawtimber, ponderosa pine is used in round log form for various purposes. The straight trunks were historically sought for utility poles and fence posts; when properly dried or treated, the wood has fair durability in these uses.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> Early 20th-century mining operations also used ponderosa pine for mine timbers and tunnel supports.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> The wood from younger, fast-grown ponderosa pines tends to warp, limiting its use in structural applications. Historically, the highest quality heavy timbers came from large, old-growth trees.<ref name="USDASpeciesReview">United States Department of Agriculture. Ponderosa Pine, Species Review. 2018. PDF</ref>
Blue stained pine
Blue-stained pine is wood marked by blue-gray streaks caused by fungi spread by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). As the beetles infest trees like ponderosa and lodgepole pine, they introduce blue-stain fungi (Grosmannia spp.), which colonize the sapwood but do not weaken the wood structurally. Although often discounted in the marketplace due to its appearance, blue-stained pine is gaining popularity in sustainable and rustic design, where its distinct color is embraced as a natural and decorative feature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Engineered Wood and Paper Products
Ponderosa pine is widely used in the production of engineered wood and pulp products. A large share of harvested logs goes into plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, and paper.<ref name="LoweryFPL">David P. Lowery. Ponderosa Pine: An American Wood. Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Ponderosa Pine PDF</ref> Ponderosa pine peeler logs are rotary-cut to produce veneer, which is used in plywood panels.<ref name="LoweryFPL" />Although it is less strong than Douglas-fir plywood, it meets the requirements for many light-duty structural and non-structural applications, including furniture panels and drawer bottoms.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /><ref name="USDAFactSheet">United States Department of Agriculture. Plant Fact Sheet: Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson). PDF</ref> The wood's light color and pleasant pine scent add to its appeal for interior use.
Notable uses and structures
Because of its abundance and warm appearance, ponderosa pine has been used in many notable western U.S. buildings, often contributing to a rustic, parkitecture aesthetic. One iconic example is the Grand Canyon Lodge where architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood used massive ponderosa beams for the sloped roof and expansive interiors.<ref name="NPSGrandCanyonLodge">National Register of Historic Places. Inventory – Nomination Form: Grand Canyon Lodge. National Archives Catalog</ref> Another example is Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos, New Mexico, using more than 700 locally harvested ponderosa logs in its log-style design.<ref name="NPSFullerLodge">National Park Service. Fuller Lodge – Manhattan Project National Historical Park. National Park Service</ref>
Cultivation
Cultivated as a bonsai, ponderosas are prized for their rough, flaky bark, contorted trunks, flexible limbs, and dramatic deadwood. Collected specimens can be wildly sculpted by their environment, resulting in beautiful twisted trunks, limbs and deadwood. In the mountains they can be found growing in pockets in the rock, stunting their growth. The main challenge for this species in bonsai cultivation is the natural long length of its needles, which takes years of training and care to reduce.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
This species is grown as an ornamental plant in parks and large gardens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Culture
Pinus ponderosa is the official state tree of Montana. In a 1908 poll to determine the state tree, Montana schoolchildren chose the tree over the Douglas fir, American larch, and cottonwood. However, the tree was not officially named the state tree until 1949.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Ponderosa Ranch in the classic TV series Bonanza was named after the ponderosa pine, commonly found in the Lake Tahoe region where the fictional Cartwright family's ranch was set. Bonanza was one of the first Westerns to be filmed in color and made frequent visual use of scenic pine forests to emphasize the ranch's size and frontier beauty.<ref>Northwest Conifer Connections. "Focus on Ponderosa Pine." *Northwest Conifer Connections* (blog), 20 July 2018. https://nwconifers.blogspot.com/2018/07/focus-on-ponderosa-pine.html</ref>
See also
References
General references
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External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Pinus
- Trees of Northern America
- Flora of Northeastern Mexico
- Flora of Northwestern Mexico
- Flora of the Northwestern United States
- Flora of the Southwestern United States
- Flora of the South-Central United States
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