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PONDEROSA PINE
Pinus ponderosa P. & C.
Lawson
Plant Symbol = PIPO
Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plants Data
Center
Alternate Names
Big heavy, black jack, bull pine, ponderosa white
pine, Sierra brown bark pine, silver pine, western
pitch pine, western red pine, western yellow pine,
yellow pine, Yosemite pine.
Uses
Erosion control: Ponderosa pine is a rapid growing
tree with the ability to firmly anchor into most soil
types. For this reason, it is suitable for use as a
windbreak species. It can also be used with other
natives to provide cover and erosion control on
rehabilitated sites.
Ethnobotanic: Native Americans used various parts
of ponderosa pine for medicinal, building and
household, food, and ceremonial purposes. Needles
were used as dermatological and gynecological aids.
They were also used to reduce coughs and fevers.
The pitch was used as an ointment for sores and
scabby skin, backaches, rheumatism, earaches,
inflamed eyes, and as a sleeping agent for infants.
The boughs of the plant were used in sweat lodges
for muscular pain, as decoctions for internal
hemorrhaging, and as infusions for pediatric
treatments.
The roots of ponderosa pine were used to make blue
dye and needles were used as insulation for
underground storage pits. The wood was used
extensively for fence posts, boards for general
construction, and to fabricate snowshoes. Single logs
were used to make dugout canoes. Bark was used to
cover houses.
Banner, R. 2002.
Utah State University Extension.
Most parts of the plant were used for food, including
the pitch, seeds, cones, bark, buds, and cambium.
The pollen and needles were used in healing
ceremonies.
Ornamental value: Ponderosa pine has a lush green
color and pleasant odor that makes it popular for
ornamental plantings. It has been planted, sometimes
out of its natural range, because of its aesthetic
qualities. Ponderosa pine is used as borders of
forested highways, but is not planted within the right-
of-way. The large stature of the tree limits its use to
open spaces.
Wildlife: Red-winged blackbirds, chickadees,
mourning doves, finches, evening grosbeak, jays,
Clark's nutcracker, nuthatches, rufous-sided towhee,
turkeys, chipmunks and squirrels consume the seeds
of ponderosa pine. Blue and spruce grouse use
ponderosa pine needles for nesting material. Mice,
porcupines, and other rodents use the bark for nesting
material. The trees are also important to various
birds for cover, roosting and nesting sites.
Wood production: Ponderosa pine is one of the most
important timber species in the western United
States. The annual production of ponderosa pine is
ranked third behind Douglas fir and hem-fir.
Approximately 1.3 billion board feet of ponderosa
pine lumber is produced annually out of Oregon, the
largest supplier in the United States. It is popularly
used for the construction of buildings.
Description
General: Pine Family (Pinaceae). Ponderosa pine is
a large tree that lives 300 to 600 years and reaches
heights of 30 to 50 m tall and 0.6 to 1.3 m in
diameter. The oldest trees can exceed 70 m in height
and 2 m in diameter. The bottom one-half of the
straight trunk is typically without branches. The
crown of ponderosa pine is broadly conical to round-
shaped. The bark is characteristically orange-brown
with a scaly plate-like appearance. Twigs are stout,
up to 2 cm think, orange-brown, and rough. Needles
are 12 to 28 cm long, thin and pointed with toothed
edges, occur in bundles of three, and give a tufted
appearance to the twig. Buds are up to 2 cm long, 1
cm wide, red-brown with white-fringed scale
margins. Male cones are orange or yellow and are
located in small clusters near the tips of the branches.
The female cone is oval, woody, 8 to 15 cm long,
with a small prickle at the tip of each scale.
Flowering occurs from April to June of the first year,
and cones mature and shed winged seeds in August
and September of the second year.
Distribution: Ponderosa pine is distributed from
southern British Columbia through Washington,
Oregon, and California, and east to the western
portions of Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North
Dakota, and South Dakota. For current distribution,
please consult the Plant Profile page for this species
on the PLANTS Web site (http://plants.usda.gov).
Habitat: Ponderosa pine trees occur as pure stands or
in mixed conifer forests in the mountains. It is an
important component of the Interior Ponderosa Pine,
Pacific Ponderosa Pine-Douglas fir, and Pacific
Ponderosa Pine forest cover types.
In the northwest, it is typically associated with Rocky
Mountain Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, grand fir, and
western larch. In California it is associated with
California white fir, incense cedar, Jeffrey pine, sugar
pine, coast Douglas fir, California black oak, and
western juniper. In the Rocky Mountains and Utah, it
is associated with Rocky Mountain Douglas fir, blue
spruce, lodgepole pine, limber pine, and quaking
aspen. In the Black Hills, it is associated with
quaking aspen, white spruce, and paper birch. In
Arizona and New Mexico, it is associated with white
fir, Rocky Mountain Douglas fir, blue spruce,
quaking aspen, gamble oak, and southwestern white
pine at higher elevations and Rocky Mountain
juniper, alligator juniper, and Utah juniper at lower
elevations (Oliver & Riker 1990).
Shrubs and grasses typically associated with
ponderosa pine within its range include ceanothus,
sagebrush, oak, snowberry, bluestem, fescue, and
polargrass.
Adaptation
The USDA hardiness zones for ponderosa pine range
from 3 to 7. It grows on a variety of soils from
shallow to deep, and from gravelly sands to sandy
clay loam. It is found growing on bare rock with its
roots in the cracks and crevices. It has a low tolerance
to alkalinity, preferring soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
It grows best in zones with 30 to 60 cm average
annual precipitation on well-drained soils. Once
established it also survives hot and dry conditions,
exhibiting medium to good drought tolerance. Fifty
percent shade reduces the growth rate significantly.
It withstands very cold winters.
Ponderosa pine is a climax species at the lower
elevations of the coniferous forest and a mid-
successional species at higher elevations where more
competitive conifers are capable of growing. It
generally grows at elevations between sea level and
3,000 m. The populations at higher elevations
usually occur within the southern part of its range
(Oliver & Riker 1990).
Establishment
Site preparation is needed to control competition,
which compromises seedling survival and growth.
Seeds are sown in late March to early April. The
seed is sown for an initial density of 237 seedlings/m
2
(22 seedlings/ft
2
). Transplant stock should be one or
two years old, with less than 2 prior transplantings,
and 15 to 30 cm in height. Space the plants 1 to 3 m
apart depending on the site.
Initial seedling survival is reduced under moisture
stress. Older seedlings can tolerate limited moisture.
Competition from other vegetation should be
controlled for the first three to six years until the trees
become well established.
Management
Ponderosa pine can be over-irrigated in poorly
drained soils, or drowned out on high water table
sites.
It responds well to thinning, which should be done as
stands become older to develop larger crowns,
resulting in heavier seed crops for wildlife. More
forage for deer and elk become available from
associated plants by opening the canopy. The use of
repellents or other control measures may be
necessary to prevent overuse of the trees by rodents.
Ponderosa pine is resistant to fire due to its thick
bark. Low intensity surface fires control competitive
species like scrub oak and shade-tolerant conifers.
Ponderosa pine seedlings can also survive low
intensity burns.
Pests and Potential Problems
Approximately 200 insect species affect ponderosa
pine from its cone stage to maturity. Pine cone
beetles cause tree death by transmitting blue stain
fungus to the tree. Their larvae also consume the
phloem, restricting the flow of nutrients to the top of
the tree.
Western pine beetle is a common cause of death for
older trees, drought stressed trees, and even healthy,
vigorous trees during epidemics.
Bark beetles are naturally present in all stands.
Harvesting methods that leave large amounts of
logging slash can allow bark beetle populations to
explode and kill vigorous trees up to 0.5 m in
diameter.
The ponderosa pine budworm, also known as the
sugar-pine tortrix, eats new needles on trees in New
Mexico and Colorado. Several years’ worth of
damage will affect the health of the tree. Early
research suggests that some insecticides may help to
control infestations.
Dwarf mistletoe is the most widespread parasite that
causes branch and stem deformation. It germinates
on ponderosa pine branches and forces its roots into
the phloem of the host branch, creating stem cankers
that leave the wood weak and unsuitable for use as
lumber. This weakens the tree and leaves it
susceptible to fungal infections and insect attacks.
Root diseases, rusts, trunk decays, and needle and
twig blights also cause significant damage.
Seeds and Plant Production
Ponderosa pine is propagated by seed. Cones are
ready for collection in October and November when
they turn reddish brown. Mature seed is firm and
brown in color. Cones should be dried on canvas tarp
in a well-ventilated area immediately after they have
been collected. The seeds will drop from the cones
as they dry.
Several germination methods for ponderosa pine
have been utilized, each with their own variations. In
general, seeds undergo an imbibation treatment
before stratification. Seeds are placed in mesh bags
and soaked in cold running water for 48 hours. One
variation is to soak the seeds in a 40% bleach
solution for 10 minutes with hand agitation prior to
placing them under running water. The mesh bags
are place in plastic bags and stored at 1
o
C for 2 to 8
weeks. They should be checked daily for mold.
Seeds are sown into containers and covered with
media. The media should be kept moist throughout
germination. Germination will occur at an average
greenhouse temperature of 20
o
C. Alternating
greenhouse temperatures of 21-25
o
C during the day
and 16-18
o
C at night is an appropriate environment
for germinating seeds. Germination will occur in
approximately 15 days.
Seedlings are thinned and watered daily throughout
the establishment phase. They should not be moved
outdoors until after the last frost of the year.
Seeds can be dried to between 5 and 8% moisture and
placed in airtight plastic bags, then stored for long
periods of time in freezers set at –15
o
C.
Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and
area of origin)
Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation
Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office
for more information. Look in the phone book under
”United States Government.” The Natural Resources
Conservation Service will be listed under the
subheading “Department of Agriculture.”
References
Agricultural Research Center. 2004. GRIN taxonomy
(http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/index, 27
May 2004). USDA, Beltsville.
Banner, R. 2002. Ponderosa pine
(http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/Woody/pondero
sapine.htm, 29 July, 2004). Utah State University
Extension, Logan.
Forest Research Nursery. 2004. Native plant network
(http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org, 27 May 2004).
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho,
Moscow.
Frankis, M.P. 1998. Pinus ponderosa. Earle, C.J.,
Gymnosperm database (http://www.conifers.org/, 27
May 2004). Bonn University, Bonn, Germany.
Miller, A. 1997. Ponderosa pine species facts
(http://www.wwpa.org/ppine.htm, 16 June 2004).
Western Wood Products Association, Portland.
Moerman, D. 2003. Native American ethnobotany
database (http://herb.umd.umich.edu/, 27 May 2004).
University of Michigan, Dearborn.
Oliver, W.W. and R.A. Ryker. 1990. Ponderosa pine.
Burns, R.M. and B.H. Honkala, Silvics of North
America. Agriculture Handbook 654. USDA Forest
Service, Washington, D.C.
Rewerts, M.S. 2004. Ponderosa pine budworm
(http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05567.html
, 29 July, 2004). Colorado State University
Extension, Fort Collins.
Prepared By:
Sarah Wennerberg
Formerly USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Species Coordinator:
Mark Skinner
USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana
Edited: 29Jul2004 sbw; 20Oct2004 rln; 060802 jsp; 060830 jsp
For more information about this and other plants, please contact
your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the
PLANTS Web site<
http://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials
Program Web site <
http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>
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