Tree of the week

ponderosa pine
Pinus ponderosa

Happy Thursday! Is everyone ready for this week's feature? It's gonna be big... "Bonanza" big! You may recognize the name, but no, I'm sorry it has much less to do with the Cartwrights and Virginia City than you think. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the ranch had some of these trees hanging around. This week's feature is called the Ponderosa pine. 

Also known as the Western Yellow pine or Blackjack pine, the Ponderosa pine is best known for it's "ponderous" (thick) wood. This tree is actually quite impressive. It's tall, straight trunks allow this tree to reach remarkable heights of 60- 130 ft. tall, sometimes even 200 ft. That's taller than an 18 story building! Trunk width is often measured between 30-60 inches in diameter with 4-8 inch needles.

The Ponderosa pine is one of the Southwest's tallest and longest living trees, often living past 500 years old. Through the first 150 (ish) years of it's life, the pine's bark is nearly black and begins to turn a rusty-orange color as it matures. It's scaly bark has been rumored to smell like vanilla or butterscotch to some individuals. 

Given full sunlight, the tree can grow 1-2 feet each year. It also develops a deep tap root which allows itself to stabilize and resist wind. Individuals often consider this tree when planning for windbreaks or buffer strips, not to mention planting for it's unique look as well. 

The Ponderosa pine was also highly utilized by the Native American population. By tradition, most each part of the tree was used. From the outer bark to the inner gum, no part of the tree went wasted. 

If a tree was cut to make a new canoe, the leftovers were carefully kept. The seeds of the tree were often eaten raw while the young cones were boiled for food. The outer bark of the tree was harvested in early spring as a sweet treat on special occasions.

Emergency flour was produced from the inner bark of the pine and the inner bark gum could be used for medicinal purposes. Even down to the needles which were steeped to make tea. ​

Several birds and small mammals also love the tree. The tree's seeds provide food and even nesting/roosting sites for it's various inhabitants. There always seems to be a critter running nearby these particular trees on the farm, we often spot birds nests in them! 

Not only will it's lumber beautifully furnish your house, but it will also provide the planted area with stability and hardiness. What I find most interesting about this tree's stout persona is it's ability to withstand the worst conditions. Living in Minnesota, "the worst" seems common. 

Once established, this tree can survive through most anything. It's drought tolerant and withstands plantings at higher elevations (thanks to it's mountain heritage), extreme temperatures, even wildfire! 

The Ponderosa pine's thick bark acts as an armor to shield itself- even if all the needles are burnt, the Ponderosa pine will survive. ​​

I could talk about this magnificent tree all day long, but unfortunately I must cut myself off. If you have any questions about the Ponderosa pine, please feel free to ask in the comments or call the farm. We are also open Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. if you are interested in taking a look at one yourself.

Until next time, we hope to see you soon. Thanks for reading!