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Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the ponderosa pine,<ref>Template:PLANTS</ref> bull pine, blackjack pine,<ref name="Moore2008">Template:Cite book</ref> western yellow-pine,<ref name=BSBI07>Template:BSBI 2007</ref> or filipinus pine,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the most widely distributed pine species in North America.<ref name="NRVYP">Safford, H.D. 2013. Natural Range of Variation (NRV) for yellow pine and mixed conifer forests in the bioregional assessment area, including the Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades, and Modoc and Inyo National Forests. Unpublished report. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Vallejo, CA, [1]</ref>Template:Rp
Pinus ponderosa grows in various erect forms from British Columbia southward and eastward through 16 western U.S. states and has been introduced in temperate regions of Europe and in New Zealand. It was first documented in modern science in 1826 in eastern Washington near present-day Spokane (of which it is the official city tree).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On that occasion, David Douglas misidentified it as Pinus resinosa (red pine). In 1829, Douglas concluded that he had a new pine among his specimens and coined the name Pinus ponderosa<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> for its heavy wood. In 1836, it was formally named and described by Charles Lawson, a Scottish nurseryman.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was adopted as the official state tree of Montana<ref name="montana">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in 1949.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
DescriptionEdit
Pinus ponderosa is a large coniferous pine (evergreen) tree. The bark helps distinguish it from other species. Mature to overmature individuals have yellow to orange-red bark in broad to very broad plates with black crevices.<ref name=":0" /> Younger trees have blackish-brown bark,<ref name=":0" /> referred to as "blackjacks" by early loggers. Ponderosa pine's five varieties, as classified by some botanists, can be identified by their characteristically bright-green needles (contrasting with blue-green needles that distinguish Jeffrey pine). The Pacific variety has the longest—Template:Convert—and most flexible needles in plume-like fascicles of three. The Columbia ponderosa pine has long—Template:Cvt—and relatively flexible needles in fascicles of three. The Rocky Mountains variety has shorter—Template:Cvt—and stout needles growing in scopulate (bushy, tuft-like) fascicles of two or three. The southwestern variety has Template:Cvt, stout needles in fascicles of three (averaging Template:Convert). The central High Plains variety is characterized by the fewest needles (1.4 per whorl, on average); stout, upright branches at narrow angles from the trunk; and long green needles—Template:Cvt—extending farthest along the branch, resembling a fox tail. Needles are widest, stoutest, and fewest (averaging Template:Cvt) for the species.<ref name= RP-264>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=RP-265>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The egg-shaped cones, which are often found in great number under trees, are Template:Convert long. They are purple when first chewed off by squirrels, but become more brown and spherical as they dry.<ref name=":0" /> Each scale has a sharp point.<ref name=":0" />
Sources differ on the scent of P. ponderosa. Some state that the bark smells of turpentine, which could reflect the dominance of terpenes (alpha- and beta-pinenes, as well as delta-3-carene).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Others state that it has no distinctive scent,<ref name="schoenherr">Template:Cite book</ref> while still others state that the bark smells like vanilla if sampled from a furrow.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Sources agree that the Jeffrey pine is more strongly scented than the ponderosa pine.<ref name="schoenherr" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When carved into, pitch-filled stumps emit a scent of fresh pitch.<ref name=":0" />
SizeEdit
The National Register of Big Trees lists a ponderosa pine that is Template:Convert tall and Template:Cvt in circumference.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2011, a Pacific ponderosa pine in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon was measured with a laser to be Template:Cvt high. The measurement was performed by Michael Taylor and Mario Vaden, a professional arborist from Oregon. The tree was climbed on October 13, 2011, by Ascending The Giants (a tree-climbing company in Portland, Oregon) and directly measured with tape-line at Template:Cvt high.<ref>Template:Gymnosperm Database</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2015, a Pinus lambertiana specimen was measured at Template:Cvt,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which surpassed the ponderosa pine previously considered the world's tallest pine tree.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TaxonomyEdit
Pinus ponderosa was scientifically described and named by Charles Lawson working from information provided by David Douglas in 1836.<ref name="POWO P ponderosa" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The taxonomy of the ponderosa pine is heavily disputed by botanists and foresters. As recently as 2013 Robert Z. Callaham writing a research paper for the US Forest Service claimed that it is a single species from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast divided into five subspecies.<ref name="RP-264" /><ref name="RP-265" /> However, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS) lists these as varieties Template:As of.<ref name="NRCS">Template:Cite usda plants</ref> In the World Plants database maintained by Michael Hassler only three varieties are recognized, one described in 2024.<ref name="World Plants">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On the other hand the World Flora Online (WFO) lists just two varieties.<ref>Template:Cite WFO</ref> While Plants of the World Online (POWO) lists four varieties, but separates out two other taxa recognized as varieties as species.<ref name="POWO P ponderosa">Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref name="POWO P scopulorum">Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref name="POWO P brachyptera">Template:Cite POWO</ref> Similarly to POWO Christopher J. Earle writes in the Gymnosperm Database that the ponderosa pine has three subspecies and recognizes two taxa as species.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the Flora of North America (FNA) three varieties are recognized.<ref name="FNA P ponderosa">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Subspecies and varietiesEdit
- This variety is listed in the Flora of North America,<ref name="FNA P ponderosa" /> but is generally recognized as the species Pinus arizonica.<ref>Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref>Template:Cite WFO</ref>
- The Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Oregon west of the Cascade Range, the whole of California, and far north eastern Nevada. This variety is recognized by PLANTS as the correct name for subspecies critchfieldiana.<ref name="NRCS var benthamiana">Template:Cite usda plants</ref> It is also listed as accepted by POWO,<ref name="POWO P ponderosa" /> but is considered a synonym of var. ponderosa by both World Plants and WFO.<ref name="World Plants" /><ref name="WFO var ponderosa">Template:Cite WFO</ref>
- Pinus ponderosa var. brachyptera Engelm. – southwestern ponderosa pine<ref name="NRCS var brachyptera">Template:Cite usda plants</ref>
- Four corners transition zone, including southern Colorado, southern Utah, northern and central New Mexico and Arizona, westernmost Texas, and a single disjunct population in the far northwestern Oklahoma panhandle.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Gila Wilderness contains one of the world's largest and healthiest forests.<ref>Template:WWF ecoregion</ref> Hot with bimodal monsoonal rainfall; wet winters and summers contrast with dry springs and falls; mild winters. This variety is recognized in PLANTS,<ref name="NRCS var brachyptera" /> but is considered a synonym of var. scopulorum by WFO and FNA,<ref name="WFO var scopulorum">Template:Cite WFO</ref><ref name="FNA var scopulorum">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of var. ponderosa by World Plants,<ref name="World Plants" /> and as the species Pinus brachyptera by POWO.<ref name="POWO P brachyptera" />
- Pinus ponderosa var. pacifica J.R. Haller & Vivrette – Pacific ponderosa pine
- Template:Cvt on coastal-draining slopes of major mountain ranges in California, and in southwestern Oregon, Washington.<ref name="Jepson var pacifica">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> This variety was described in 2011 by John Robert Haller and Nancy J. Vivrette.<ref name="POWO var pacifica">Template:Cite POWO</ref> It is accepted by POWO, but is considered a synonym of var. ponderosa by WFO and World Plants.<ref name="WFO var ponderosa" /><ref name="World Plants" />
- Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa Douglas ex C. Lawson – Columbia ponderosa pine, North plateau ponderosa pine<ref>Template:Calflora</ref>
- This is the autonymic variety of the species.<ref name="POWO P ponderosa" /> Its range depends upon how many varieties are combined with it, if combined with var. pacifica and/or var. benthamiana as in FNA it extends further south into California, but not inland to Montana.<ref name="FNA var ponderosa">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> The definition of the variety used by Jepson Herbarium similarly includes southeast British Columbia, eastern Washington State and Oregon east of the Cascade Range, northeastern California, and northwestern Nevada, but additionally indludes Idaho and west of the Helena, Montana. This area has 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).<ref>Template:Jepson eFlora</ref><ref>Template:PLANTS</ref>
- Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum (Engelm. in S.Watson) E. Murray, Kalmia 12:23, 1982 – Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine<ref name="FNA var scopulorum" />
- Variety scopulorum is recognized by WFO,<ref name="WFO var scopulorum" /> PLANTS,<ref>Template:Cite usda plants</ref> World Plants,<ref name="World Plants" /> and the FNA.<ref name="FNA var scopulorum" /> It is considered a species by POWO.<ref name="POWO P scopulorum" /> The distribution of this taxa is different depending on its definition, for example being very widespread in the FNA and much more restricted in POWO.<ref name="FNA var scopulorum" /><ref name="POWO P scopulorum" />
- Pinus ponderosa var. washoensis (H. Mason & Stockw.) J.R. Haller & Vivrette – Washoe pine<ref name="calflorawashoensis">Template:Calflora</ref>
- Predominantly in northeastern California, and into Nevada and Oregon, at Template:Cvt, upper mixed-conifer to lower subalpine habitats.<ref name="jepsonwashoensis">Template:Jepson eFlora</ref><ref name="usdawashoensis">Template:PLANTS</ref>
Distributions of the subspecies in the United States are shown in shadow on the map. Distribution of ponderosa pine is from Critchfield and Little.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The closely related five-needled Arizona pine (Pinus arizonica) extends southward into Mexico.
Before the distinctions between the North Plateau and Pacific races were fully documented, most botanists assumed that ponderosa pines in both areas were the same. In 1948, when a botanist and a geneticist from California found a distinct tree on Mt. Rose in western Nevada with some marked differences from the ponderosa pine they knew in California, they described it as a new species, Washoe pine Pinus washoensis. Subsequent research determined this to be one of the southernmost outliers of the typical North Plateau race of ponderosa pine.<ref name="RP-264" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Its current classification is Pinus ponderosa var. washoensis.<ref name="calflorawashoensis" /><ref name="jepsonwashoensis" /><ref name="usdawashoensis" />
An additional variety, tentatively named P. p. var. willamettensis, found in the Willamette Valley in western Oregon, is rare.<ref name="hcn12">Template:Cite journal</ref> This is likely just one of the many islands of Pacific subspecies of ponderosa pine occurring in the Willamette Valley and extending north to the southeast end of Puget Sound in Washington.Template:Cn
Distinguishing subspeciesEdit
The subspecies of P. ponderosa can be distinguished by measurements along several dimensions:<ref name="RP-264" />Template:Rp<ref name="RP-265" />Template:Rp
| Common name | Pacific | Columbia | Rocky Mountains | Southwestern | Central High Plains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | P. p. critchfieldiana | P. p. ponderosa | P. p. scopulorum | P. p. brachyptera | P. p. readiana |
| Years needles remain green | 3.9±0.25, N=30 | 4.7±0.14, N=50 | 5.7±0.28, N=23 | 4.3±0.18, N=24 | 4.7±0.18, N=5 |
| Foliage length on branch (cm) | 25.1±2.4, N=30 | 26.2±2.2, N=50 | 21.1±1.7, N=23 | 21.8±2.7, N=24 | 42.2±6.7, N=5 |
| Needle length (cm) | 19.8±0.44, N=30 | 16.8±0.29, N=48 | 11.2±0.27, N=23 | 14.7±0.45, N=24 | 15.6±0.57, N=5 |
| Needles per fascicle | 3.0±0.00, N=30 | 3.0±0.00, N=48 | 2.6±0.06, N=23 | 3.0±0.03, N=24 | 2.4±0.11, N=5 |
| Needle thickness | 45.9±0.49, N=30 | 47.8±0.51, N=48 | 46.4±0.68, N=23 | 44.8±0.87, N=24 | 49.7±0.61, N=5 |
| Branches per whorl | 4.4±0.13, N=30 | 3.7±0.11, N=50 | 3.0±0.17, N=23 | 3.4±0.25, N=23 | 2.3±0.11, N=5 |
| Branch angle (° from vertical) | 56±1.8, N=30 | 51±1.7, N=50 | 50±2.3, N=23 | 48±3.1, N=24 | 36±1.9, N=5 |
| Seed cones length (mm) | 101.4±2.48, N=25 | 88.7±1.24, N=36 | 70.7±2.20, N=22 | 74.9±2.51, N=20 | 71.1±2.46, N=5 |
| Seed cones width (mm) | 77.1±1.35, N=25 | 71.6±0.73, N=36 | 61.5±1.08, N=22 | 62.6±1.77, N=20 | 63.3±2.18, N=5 |
| Seed cone form W/L | 0.80±0.03, N=25 | 0.84±0.03, N=36 | 0.90±0.02, N=22 | 0.86±0.02, N=20 | 0.90±0.03, N=5 |
| Seed length (mm) | 7.5±0.08, N=23 | 7.6±0.16, N=14 | 6.3±0.09, N=17 | 6.4±0.18, N=16 | 7.0±0.12, N=5 |
| Seed width (mm) | 4.9±0.05, N=23 | 4.9±0.08, N=14 | 4.1±0.05, N=17 | 4.3±0.09, N=16 | 4.5±0.10, N=5 |
| Seed + wing length (mm) | 32.3±0.58, N=23 | 24.8±0.62, N=14 | 22.9±0.63, N=17 | 23.3±0.68, N=15 | 23.1±0.78, N=5 |
| Mature cone color<ref>Smith, R. H. (1981). "Variation in cone color of immature ponderosa pine (Pinaceae) in northern California and southern Oregon". Madroño 28: 272–275.</ref> | apple green to yellow green | green & red-brown to dark purple | green & red-brown to dark purple | green & red-brown to dark purple |
Notes
Names of taxa and transition zones are on the map.
Numbers in columns were derived from multiple measurements of samples taken from 10 (infrequently fewer) trees on a varying number of geographically dispersed plots.
Numbers in each cell show calculated mean ± standard error and number of plots.
DistributionEdit
Pinus ponderosa is a dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association, the ponderosa shrub forest. Like most western pines, the ponderosa is generally associated with mountainous topography. However, it is found on banks of the Niobrara River in Nebraska. Scattered stands occur in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and in the Okanagan Valley and Puget Sound areas of Washington. Stands occur throughout low level valleys in British Columbia reaching as far north as the Thompson, Fraser and Columbia watersheds. In its Northern limits, it only grows below Template:Convert elevation, but is most common below Template:Convert. Ponderosa covers Template:Convert, or 80%,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> of the Black Hills of South Dakota. It is found on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central, and southern Rocky Mountains, in the Cascade Range, in the Sierra Nevada, and in the maritime-influenced Coast Range. In Arizona, it predominates on the Mogollon Rim and is scattered on the Mogollon Plateau and on mid-height peaks (Template:Convert) in Arizona and New Mexico.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Arizona pine (P. arizonica), found primarily in the mountains of extreme southwestern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and northern Mexico and sometimes classified as a variety of ponderosa pine, is presently recognized as a separate species.<ref>Template:Silvics</ref> Ponderosa pine are also found in the Chisos, Davis, and Guadalupe Mountains of Texas, at elevations between Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
EcologyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The fire cycle for ponderosa pine is 5 to 10 years, in which a natural ignition sparks a low-intensity fire.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Low, once-a-decade fires are known to have helped specimens live for half a millennium or more.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> The tree has thick bark, and its buds are protected by needles, allowing even some younger individuals to survive weaker fires.<ref name=":0" /> In addition to being adapted to dry, fire-affected areas, the species often appears on the edges of deserts as it is comparatively drought resistant, partly due to the ability to close its leaf pores.<ref name=":0" /> It can also draw some of its water from sandy soils.<ref name=":0" /> Despite being relatively widespread in the American West, it is intolerant of shade.<ref name=":0" />
Pinus ponderosa needles are the only known food of the caterpillars of the gelechiid moth Chionodes retiniella.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Blue stain fungus, Grosmannia clavigera, is introduced in sapwood of P. ponderosa from the galleries of all species in the genus Dendroctonus (mountain pine beetle), which has caused much damage. Western pine and other beetles can be found consuming the bark.<ref name="USDA">Template:Cite book</ref> The seeds are eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, quail, grouse, and Clark's nutcracker, while mule deer browse the seedlings.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> American black bears can climb up to 12 feet up a ponderosa.<ref name=":0" />
Various animals nest in the ponderosa pines, such as the piliated woodpecker.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
PathologyEdit
Pinus ponderosa is affected by Armillaria, Phaeolus schweinitzii, Fomes pini, Atropellis canker, dwarf mistletoe, Polyporus anceps, Verticicladiella, Elytroderma needle cast, and western gall rust.<ref name="USDA" />
As an invasive speciesEdit
Pinus ponderosa is classed as a "wilding pine" and spreads as an invasive species throughout the high country of New Zealand, where it is beginning to take over, causing the native species of plants not to be able to grow in those locations.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is also considered a "weed" in parts of Australia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UsesEdit
Native Americans consumed the seeds and sweet inner bark. They chewed the dried pitch, which was also used as a salve. They used the limbs and branches as firewood and building material, and the trunks were carved into canoes. The needles and roots were made into baskets. The needles were also boiled into a solution to treat coughs and fevers.<ref name=":0" />
Commercial UsesEdit
Ponderosa pine has long been an important commercial timber species in western North America, valued for its versatile wood. In both the United States and Canada (primarily British Columbia), ponderosa pine forests have been harvested for lumber and other wood products since the 19th century.<ref name="LoweryFPL">David P. Lowery. Ponderosa Pine: An American Wood. Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Ponderosa Pine PDF</ref><ref name="BCGovPonderosa">Government of British Columbia. Ponderosa Pine. January 25, 2024. Website</ref> Old-growth trees were widely used by settlers as lumber, including for railroads. The wood is pale yellow to light brown, straight-grained, and moderately soft, making it suitable for a wide range of applications in construction and manufacturing.<ref name="WWPAPonderosa">Western Wood Products Association. Ponderosa Pine. PDF</ref> Younger trees are of poor quality for lumber due to the tendency to warp.<ref name=":0" />
Structural lumberEdit
Ponderosa pine is extensively used as dimensional lumber in light construction. Its timber is easily milled and was one of the first western woods shipped in quantity to eastern markets in the early 20th century.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> Common construction uses have included framing (studs and joists), roof decking, and sheathing in houses where only moderate strength is required.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> By the mid-20th century, annual production of ponderosa pine lumber was very high; for example, harvests exceeded 3 billion board feet per year by the late 1930s and peaked at over 4 billion board feet in 1941.<ref name="LoweryFPL" />
In addition to sawtimber, ponderosa pine is used in round log form for various purposes. The straight trunks were historically sought for utility poles and fence posts; when properly dried or treated, the wood has fair durability in these uses.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> Early 20th-century mining operations also used ponderosa pine for mine timbers and tunnel supports.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /> The wood from younger, fast-grown ponderosa pines tends to warp, limiting its use in structural applications. Historically, the highest quality heavy timbers came from large, old-growth trees.<ref name="USDASpeciesReview">United States Department of Agriculture. Ponderosa Pine, Species Review. 2018. PDF</ref>
Blue stained pineEdit
Blue-stained pine is wood marked by blue-gray streaks caused by fungi spread by the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae). As the beetles infest trees like ponderosa and lodgepole pine, they introduce blue-stain fungi (Grosmannia spp.), which colonize the sapwood but do not weaken the wood structurally. Although often discounted in the marketplace due to its appearance, blue-stained pine is gaining popularity in sustainable and rustic design, where its distinct color is embraced as a natural and decorative feature.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Engineered Wood and Paper ProductsEdit
Ponderosa pine is widely used in the production of engineered wood and pulp products. A large share of harvested logs goes into plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, and paper.<ref name="LoweryFPL">David P. Lowery. Ponderosa Pine: An American Wood. Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Ponderosa Pine PDF</ref> Ponderosa pine peeler logs are rotary-cut to produce veneer, which is used in plywood panels.<ref name="LoweryFPL" />Although it is less strong than Douglas-fir plywood, it meets the requirements for many light-duty structural and non-structural applications, including furniture panels and drawer bottoms.<ref name="LoweryFPL" /><ref name="USDAFactSheet">United States Department of Agriculture. Plant Fact Sheet: Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson). PDF</ref> The wood’s light color and pleasant pine scent add to its appeal for interior use.
Notable uses and structuresEdit
Because of its abundance and warm appearance, ponderosa pine has been used in many notable western U.S. buildings, often contributing to a rustic, parkitecture aesthetic. One iconic example is the Grand Canyon Lodge where architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood used massive ponderosa beams for the sloped roof and expansive interiors.<ref name="NPSGrandCanyonLodge">National Register of Historic Places. Inventory – Nomination Form: Grand Canyon Lodge. National Archives Catalog</ref> Another example is Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos, New Mexico, using more than 700 locally harvested ponderosa logs in its log-style design.<ref name="NPSFullerLodge">National Park Service. Fuller Lodge – Manhattan Project National Historical Park. National Park Service</ref>
CultivationEdit
Cultivated as a bonsai, ponderosas are prized for their rough, flaky bark, contorted trunks, flexible limbs, and dramatic deadwood. Collected specimens can be wildly sculpted by their environment, resulting in beautiful twisted trunks, limbs and deadwood. In the mountains they can be found growing in pockets in the rock, stunting their growth. The main challenge for this species in bonsai cultivation is the natural long length of its needles, which takes years of training and care to reduce.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
This species is grown as an ornamental plant in parks and large gardens.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In nuclear testingEdit
During Operation Upshot–Knothole in 1953, a nuclear test was performed in which 145 ponderosa pines were cut down by the United States Forest Service and transported to Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site, where they were planted into the ground and exposed to a nuclear blast to see what the blast wave would do to a forest. The trees were partially burned and blown over.<ref name="Finkbeiner">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CultureEdit
Pinus ponderosa is the official state tree of Montana. In a 1908 poll to determine the state tree, Montana schoolchildren chose the tree over the Douglas fir, American larch, and cottonwood. However, the tree was not officially named the state tree until 1949.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Ponderosa Ranch in the classic TV series Bonanza was named after the ponderosa pine, commonly found in the Lake Tahoe region where the fictional Cartwright family's ranch was set. Bonanza was one of the first Westerns to be filmed in color and made frequent visual use of scenic pine forests to emphasize the ranch’s size and frontier beauty.<ref>Northwest Conifer Connections. "Focus on Ponderosa Pine." *Northwest Conifer Connections* (blog), July 20, 2018. https://nwconifers.blogspot.com/2018/07/focus-on-ponderosa-pine.html</ref>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
General referencesEdit
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