Ponderosa pine at
Tualatin Hills
Nature Park
USGS
Distribution
Map** Subspecies: ponderosa,
benthamiana,
scopulorum
|
Ponderosa pine is the iconic conifer of the
western United States, instantly recognized by its distinctive,
colorful
bark, often seen in western movies. It grows to 200 feet (60 meters).
Needles:
Ponderosa pine has 3 needles per bundle. The needles are up to 10
inches long, with sharp points. Ponderosa pine is easy to
identify
outside of southwest Oregon because it is the
only 3 needle pine in the rest of the Northwest.
Cones:
The egg-shaped
cones are 3 to 6 inches long and have a
sharp point on each scale.
Bark:
The bark is the
most striking and
distinctive characteristic of this pine, with flat red or yellow plates
shaped like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The bark is more colorful on
older trees, most notably on large trees growing east of the Cascades.
Climate may also influence bark color.
Where
it grows: Ponderosa pine
is common throughout much of the
western US. It is
the most common conifer in the Northwest east of the Cascades, growing
at elevations up to 5000 feet (1500 meters). Although it thrives in
dry, mountainous
regions, it is
also native to the
wet habitat of the Willamette Valley, but there the bark loses some its
distinctive color. Ponderosa pine is the
state tree of Montana.
Two subspecies of Pinus ponderosa grow
in the
Northwest:*
- Columbia ponderosa (subsp. ponderosa) grows east of the Cascades summit to the mountains of Idaho.
- Pacific ponderosa (subsp. benthamiana) grows
in the Willamette Valley and the mountains of southwest
Oregon. It also grows in
the mountains of California. Those in the Willamette Valley
are sometimes called Willamette Valley ponderosa pines.
If you travel farther east, you will
encounter Rocky Mountain ponderosa (subsp. scopulorum), which grows throughout much of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Ponderosa pine at Hoyt Arboretum
Similar
Tree: Jeffrey
pine grows in
southwest Oregon
and California.
Uses:
Ponderosa pine
lumber is widely used in home construction, window and door frames,
moldings, and furniture. Squirrels, chipmunks and many kinds of birds
eat the seeds. Some cache the seeds, which facilitates the propagation
of more pine
trees.
Names: Lewis
and
Clark encountered this pine in 1805 and were impressed by
its long needles. In 1826, David Douglas named it for its heavy
(ponderous) wood. Other common names: Yellow pine, western yellow pine,
blackjack pine.
______________
*The Gymnosperm
Database
lists these as subspecies. OregonFlora Project
lists them as
varieties.
**Subspecies: ponderosa,
benthamiana,
scopulorum. Subspecies
distribution based on
information from the Gymnosperm
Database
|
Pollen
cones
Ponderosa pine bark
near Bend,
Oregon
Ponderosa pine Bark
near Portland
|