The Ponderosa pine is one of the most widespread trees in the western United States. It can be found from the Black Hills to the Cascades and from British Columbia to Southern California. Ponderosa pines have long needles that grow in bundles of three. Ponderosa bark is very thick and the bark does not burn easily, which helps it survive fires. The Navajo called the Ponderosa a word meaning “red pine.” Captain Meriwether Lewis named the ponderosa “long-leaf pine.” But Scottish botanist, David Douglas, gave it the name that stuck “Pinus ponderosa.”
Growing Home: The Ponderosa Pine
