Oak-tober staff picks

By Chelsea Schuyler

Ever wonder what Friends of Trees staff members think about all day? Well TREES, of course. But which ones?

Today’s pick: the Ponderosa Pine.

Which tree does Kate Farrington, Neighborhood Trees Specialist, favor and why?

“Oh, the native Ponderosa Pine! I have loved this tree since I was a child, because the smell of pine has always reminded me of summer. My family spent our summers in northern Idaho on Coeur d’Alene Lake where the dry climate is ideal for pine trees. The pungent pine smell always welcomed me home there.”

These fast-growing, majestic trees can reach 200 feet in height and live as long as 100 years. Their needles can grow up to 10 inches long, and they have distinctive orange, deeply-grooved bark. The seeds are food for various kinds of birds, chipmunks, and squirrels, making the Ponderosa Pine an excellent wildlife tree.

Here’s a trick to help you identify a Ponderosa Pine. If you stand next to the trunk and notice that the bark smells like Butterscotch, you’ve got yourself a Ponderosa Pine—because one must “ponder” why it smells of that nostalgic hard candy deliciousness we all grew up with.

So what’s your favorite tree? What will your children associate with their childhood play?

You can create memories for future generations by buying a tree from Friends of Trees at up to 70 percent less than you’d pay a contractor, and the payoff will be years running. Because of their height, we only sell Ponderosa Pines for yards, not planting strips, but we have many other options for planting strips.

You wouldn’t believe how much a tree can benefit property value and stormwater runoff. Check out the Tree Calculator to see for yourself how a Ponderosa Pine or your favorite tree could benefit your home, neighborhood, and the environment.

Happy planting!