Ponderosa Pine
Scientific Name: Pinus ponderosa
Alternate Name(s): western yellow pine, yellow pine, bull pine, blackjack
Distribution: western North America from British Columbia to just south of the United States-Mexico border
Habitat: 1800-2600 meters; hot, dry areas; can withstand very cold winters; drought tolerant
Life Span: 70-250 years
Height: 20-40 meters
Crown Shape: broad, open, cone-shaped; spreading branches
Bark: dark brown when young; turns from cinnamon-brown to yellow-orange when tree is about 90 years old; furrowed with puzzle-piece shaped flakes
Leaves: 10-to-20 centimeters long; stiff, yellow-green needles in clusters of 3 (sometimes 2 or 4)
Cones: 8-16 centimeters long; egg-shaped, light reddish-brown; keeled scales that end with a sharp spike
Use(s): beautification, erosion control, lumber, veneer, pulp, poles, core stock, fuel
Conservation Status: least concern (IUCN 3.1); population stable
Major Threats: selective logging, fire prevention
Other Notes: most widely distributed pine in North America; most commercially important western pine
Alternate Name(s): western yellow pine, yellow pine, bull pine, blackjack
Distribution: western North America from British Columbia to just south of the United States-Mexico border
Habitat: 1800-2600 meters; hot, dry areas; can withstand very cold winters; drought tolerant
Life Span: 70-250 years
Height: 20-40 meters
Crown Shape: broad, open, cone-shaped; spreading branches
Bark: dark brown when young; turns from cinnamon-brown to yellow-orange when tree is about 90 years old; furrowed with puzzle-piece shaped flakes
Leaves: 10-to-20 centimeters long; stiff, yellow-green needles in clusters of 3 (sometimes 2 or 4)
Cones: 8-16 centimeters long; egg-shaped, light reddish-brown; keeled scales that end with a sharp spike
Use(s): beautification, erosion control, lumber, veneer, pulp, poles, core stock, fuel
Conservation Status: least concern (IUCN 3.1); population stable
Major Threats: selective logging, fire prevention
Other Notes: most widely distributed pine in North America; most commercially important western pine