Ponderosa Pine

Easy to Maintain

Native to pacific northwest

Valuable to wildlife

Drought Tolerant

Characteristics:
One of the most distinguishing features of the Ponderosa pine is its cinnamon-colored, puzzle-piece bark that smells like vanilla.This large native pine has long needles and medium-large cones. It's a great drought-tolerant choice for windbreak or erosion control and a great wildlife tree that is popular with birds and squirrels.

Growing Conditions:
Ponderosa pine can grow well in hot, dry sites and can withstand very cold winters. It is adaptable to a variety of conditions but develops best in wet, deep, sandy gravel and clay loams. We make sure to source our ponderosa pines from the Willamette Valley subspecies, which is genetically adapted to this climate.

Uses:
Yard tree. Good for windbreak or erosion control. Also, good wildlife tree and is used by birds, chipmunks and squirrels. Eugene customers: available as street tree in 10'+ planting strips.

Height:
90' at maturity

Width:
30' at maturity

Shape:
A large tree with an irregular crown, eventually developing a flat top or short conical crown. The tree self-prunes well.

Flowers:
Flowers on male trees are yellow-red, cylindrical, and clustered near ends of branches. Flowers on female trees are reddish at branch tips.

Leaves:
Needles up to 8

Bark:
Nearly black on young trees, developing cinnamon-colored plates and deep furrows as tree matures.

More Information:
Pacific Northwest native. Eugene-Springfield customers: FOT Eugene-Springfield plants valley pine, the variety adapted to western Oregon's climate, which grows well in heavy soils. E OR varieties tend not to thrive in W OR.