Ponderosa Pine cones

Description:

Pyramidal when young, the ponderosa pine gradually loses low limbs as it grows taller. Mature trees are tall with a large, irregular crown. Mature ponderosa pines are easy to identify by their orange-brown bark, which appears as large plates that look like gigantic jigsaw puzzle pieces. The needles are 5 to 10 inches long and usually grow in bunches of three. When crushed, the needles smell of turpentine and citrus. On hot days, the bark of adult trees can smell like vanilla. Cones are oval shaped, 3 to 6 inches long, red-brown in color with a stiff prickle on the end. They can live up tp to 600 years. Mature trees average 100 to 150 feet tall but can reach 230 feet in height. Ponderosa pine taproots can go down 30 feet to reach deep moisture. The root system can spread 100 feet from the trunk.

Habitat:

Pine forest at Angel Fire, New Mexico.

Notes:

Fire Ponderosa pines thrive in sunlight and require periodic fires. Historically, low-intensity fires caused by lightning or set by Indians burned every few decades and killed competing species that shaded out young ponderosa pines. Older ponderosa pines were protected by their thick bark. As fires have been suppressed, ponderosa stands have become crowded with mature trees competing for limited nutrients and moisture. Young ponderosa pines are then shaded out. Throughout many western states, including Montana, ponderosa pine stands have been taken over by more shade-tolerant species such as the Douglas fir. American Indians traditionally ate the seeds and inner bark. In certain areas they dug out logs for canoes, and used the pitch as waterproofing and ointment.