Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson var. ponderosa
ponderosa pine
Pinaceae (Pine family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
ponderosa pine
Pinaceae (Pine family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Map
Distribution of Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa
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Species Information
General:
Tree to 40-50 m tall; bark thick, deeply furrowed, dark reddish-brown or blackish when young, changing to cinnamon red when older and exfoliating as irregular scales.
Leaves:
Needles mostly in threes, often twos, occasionally fours or fives, (10) 12-20 (25) cm long, clustered towards branch ends; yellowish-green.
Cones:
Seed cones near branch tips, deep reddish-purple when young, maturing late in second year, turning brown; egg-shaped, 8-14 cm long; scales brown with thickened, yellowish, prickly tip; pollen cones yellow to purplish, strongly clustered.
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry slopes, river terraces and flats in the steppe and montane zones; common in SC and SE BC; S to CA, NM, TX, NE, and SD.Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Pinus beardsleyi A. Murray
Pinus benthamiana Hartw.
Pinus brachyptera Engelm.