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Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), sometimes called Bull Pine or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine
Pine

Pines are Pinophyta trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species....
 native to western North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
. It was first described by David Douglas
David Douglas

David Douglas was a Scottish botanist. The son of a stonemason, he was born in the village of Scone, Perthshire north-east of Perth, Scotland....
 in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane
Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
. It is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association Ponderosa shrub forest
Ponderosa shrub forest

Ponderosa shrub forest is a plant association found in western North America. In the A.W. Kuchler scheme it is denoted by the label K010. In addition to the dominant species Ponderosa pine, there are other common associates within this plant association such as California Buckeye....
. Like most western pines, the ponderosa is associated with mountainous topography. It is found on the Black Hills
Black Hills

The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States....
 and on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central and southern Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometre from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States....
 as well as the Cascades and Sierra Nevada.

Modern forestry research identifies four different taxa of Ponderosa Pine, with differing botanical characters and adapted to different climatic conditions.






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Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), sometimes called Bull Pine or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine
Pine

Pines are Pinophyta trees in the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species....
 native to western North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
. It was first described by David Douglas
David Douglas

David Douglas was a Scottish botanist. The son of a stonemason, he was born in the village of Scone, Perthshire north-east of Perth, Scotland....
 in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane
Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, as well as the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region....
. It is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association Ponderosa shrub forest
Ponderosa shrub forest

Ponderosa shrub forest is a plant association found in western North America. In the A.W. Kuchler scheme it is denoted by the label K010. In addition to the dominant species Ponderosa pine, there are other common associates within this plant association such as California Buckeye....
. Like most western pines, the ponderosa is associated with mountainous topography. It is found on the Black Hills
Black Hills

The Black Hills are a small, isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States....
 and on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central and southern Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometre from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States....
 as well as the Cascades and Sierra Nevada.

Modern forestry research identifies four different taxa of Ponderosa Pine, with differing botanical characters and adapted to different climatic conditions. These have been termed "geographic races" in forestry
Forestry

Forestry is the art and science of managing forests, tree plantations, and related natural resources. Silviculture, a related science, involves the growing and tending of trees and forests....
 literature, while some botanists historically treated them as distinct species. In modern botanical usage, they best match the rank of subspecies
Subspecies

In biology, subspecies is the taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a species. A subspecies is a taxonomic group which is less distinct than the Common descent or species from which it originates....
, but not all of the relevant botanical combinations have been formally published.

The bark of the Ponderosa Pine has a smell similar to vanilla. The Ponderosa Pine has a very distinct bark. Unlike most conifers, it has an orange bark, with black lining the crevasses, where the bark "splits". This is very noticeable amongst the older Ponderosa Pines that live along the west coast of Canada. Its needles are the only known food of the caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s of the gelechiid
Gelechiidae

The Gelechiidae, Gelechiid moths, are a family of Lepidoptera . These are generally very small moths with narrow, fringed wings. The larvae of most species feed internally on various parts of their host plants, sometimes causing galls....
 moth
Moth

A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the Order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy....
 Chionodes retiniella.

The National Register of Big Trees lists a number of large Ponderosa Pines up to 227 feet tall. and 294 inches in girth.

Subspecies

  1. Pinus ponderosa subsp. ponderosa Douglas
    David Douglas

    David Douglas was a Scottish botanist. The son of a stonemason, he was born in the village of Scone, Perthshire north-east of Perth, Scotland....
     ex C. Lawson - North Plateau Ponderosa Pine.
    • Range & climate: southeast British Columbia
      British Columbia

      British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
      , Washington
      Washington

      Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
       and Oregon
      Oregon

      Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
       east of the Cascade Range
      Cascade Range

      The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California....
      , Arizona
      Arizona

      The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
      , northwestern Nevada
      Nevada

      Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
      , Idaho
      Idaho

      The State of Idaho is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and Capital is Boise, Idaho....
       and western Montana
      Montana

      Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
      . Cool, relatively moist summers; very cold, snowy winters (except in the very hot and very dry summers of central Oregon, most notably near Bend, which also has very cold and generally dry winters).
  2. Pinus ponderosa subsp. scopulorum (Engelm.
    George Engelmann

    George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, was a Germany-United States botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora of the west of North America, then very poorly-known; he was particularly active in the Rocky Mountains and northern Mexico....
    ) E. Murray - Rocky Mountains Ponderosa Pine.
    • Range & climate: eastern Montana
      Montana

      Montana is a U.S. state in the Western United States. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains....
      , North Dakota
      North Dakota

      North Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States and Western United States regions of the United States of America. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the US; it is the 48th most populous, with just over 640,000 residents as of 2006....
      , South Dakota
      South Dakota

      South Dakota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota people and Sioux Sioux Native Americans in the United States tribes....
      , Wyoming
      Wyoming

      The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated U.S. state in the Northwestern United States of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains ....
      , Nebraska
      Nebraska

      Nebraska is a U.S. state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Western United States.Nebraska probably gets its name from the archaic Chiwere language words ?? Br?sge or the Omaha-Ponca language N? Bth?ska meaning "flat water," after the Platte River that flows through the state....
      , northern and central Colorado
      Colorado

      The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....
       and Utah
      Utah

      The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
      , and eastern Nevada
      Nevada

      Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
      . Warm, relatively dry summers; very cold, fairly dry winters.
  3. Pinus brachyptera Engelm.
    George Engelmann

    George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, was a Germany-United States botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora of the west of North America, then very poorly-known; he was particularly active in the Rocky Mountains and northern Mexico....
     - Southwestern Ponderosa Pine
    • Range & climate: southern Colorado
      Colorado

      The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....
      , southern Utah
      Utah

      The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
      , northern and central New Mexico
      New Mexico

      New Mexico is a U. S. State located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. Inhabited by Native Americans in the United States populations for many centuries, it has also has been part of the Spanish Empire viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S....
       and Arizona
      Arizona

      The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
      , and westernmost Texas
      Texas

      Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
      . The Gila Wilderness
      Gila Wilderness

      Gila Wilderness was designated the world's first wilderness area on June 3, 1924. Along with Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness, the wilderness is part of New Mexico Gila National Forest....
       contains one of the world's largest and healthiest forests. Hot, relatively moist summers; mild winters.
  4. Pinus benthamiana Hartw.
    Karl Theodor Hartweg

    Karl Theodor Hartweg was a Germany botanist. He collected numerous new species of plants in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and California in the United States, collecting for the London Horticultural Society....
     - Pacific Ponderosa Pine
    • Range & climate: Washington
      Washington

      Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
       and Oregon
      Oregon

      Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
       west of the Cascade Range
      Cascade Range

      The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California....
      , California
      California

      California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
      , and just into westernmost Nevada
      Nevada

      Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
      . Hot, dry summers; mild wet winters.


The distributions of the subspecies, and that of the closely related Arizona Pine
Arizona Pine

The Arizona Pine is a medium-sized pine in northern Mexico, southeast Arizona, southwest New Mexico, and western Texas in the United States. It is a tree growing to 25-35 m tall, with a trunk diameter of up 1.2 m....
 (Pinus arizonica) are shown on the map. The numbers on the map correspond to the taxon numbers above and in the table below. The base map of the species range is from Critchfield & Little, Geographic Distribution of the Pines of the World, USDA Forest Service Miscellaneous Publication 991 (1966).

Before the distinctions between the North Plateau race and the Pacific race were fully documented, most botanists assumed that Ponderosa Pines in both areas were the same. So when two botanists from California found a distinct tree in western Nevada in 1948 with some marked differences from the Ponderosa Pine they were familiar with in California, they described it as a new species, Washoe Pine, Pinus washoensis. However, subsequent research has shown that this is merely a southern outlier of the typical North Plateau race of Ponderosa Pine.

Table of characters distinguishing the subspecies of Pinus ponderosa and Pinus arizonica

 Taxon  1 North Plateau   2 Rocky Mts   3 Southwest   4 Pacific     5 Arizona   6 Storm's 
 Character  (ponderosa)   (scopulorum)   (brachyptera)   (benthamiana)     (arizonica)   (stormiae) 
 Needles per fascicle  3  2-3  2-3  3    4-5  3-5
 Needle length  10-22 cm  8-17 cm  12-21 cm  15-30 cm    12-22 cm  20-30 cm
 Needle thickness  1.7-2.2 mm  1.5-1.7 mm  1.6-1.9 mm  1.3-1.7 mm    1.0-1.1 mm  1.0-1.2 mm
 Cone length  5-11 cm  5-9 cm  5-10 cm  7-16 cm    5-9 cm  6-11 cm
 Cone scale width  14-19 mm  16-20 mm  14-19 mm  18-23 mm    15-18 mm  12-17 mm
 Immature cone colour  purple  green  green  green    green  green
 Mature cone surface  matte  matte  glossy  glossy    glossy  matte
 Seedwing to seed length ratio   1.9-2.5  2.1-3.4  3.0-3.5  3.0-4.7    2.8-3.2  3.0-3.5
 Max tree height  50 m  40 m  50 m  70 m    35 m  20 m
 USDA hardiness zone  4  4  6  7    7  8
Notes:
Taxon numbers refer to the map
Needles per fascicle - the most frequent number is in bold
Seedwing : seed length ratio - high numbers indicate a small seed with a long wing; low numbers a large seed with a short seedwing