Description
The ponderosa pine (yellow pine, bull pine, blackjack pine) is native from British Columbia, down through Mexico and east to North Dakota, Texas and Nebraska. It grows best at higher elevations and in zones 3-7. It thrives in cool. dry conditions and is a great tree for mountainous landscapes. As with most new plantings, it needs supplemental water for the first year and needs a moist but well drained soil.
Ponderosa pine are a long-lived tree, with the oldest recorded being 600 years old and over 8 foot in diameter. The tallest one recorded was over 230 feet tall. They have needles in bunches of 3 and the needles are 5-10″ long. They a little sharp and a nice, bright green color. the cones are orange or yellow and clustered at the ends of branches. Cones are produced when the tree is as young as seven years old, and it will continue producing for up to 350 years or more. They produce seeds every two to three years.
