ponderosa pine Pinaceae Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson symbol: PIPO Leaf: Evergreen, 5 to 10 inches long, with three (sometimes 2) tough, yellow-green needles per fascicle. When crushed, needles have a turpentine odor sometimes reminiscent of citrus. Flower: Species is monoecious; males yellow-red, cylindrical, in clusters near ends of branches; females reddish at branch tips. Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 3 to 6 inches long, sessile, red-brown in color, armed with a slender prickle, maturing late summer. Twig: Stout, orange in color, turning black. Buds often covered with resin. Bark: Very dark (nearly black) on young trees, developing cinnamon colored plates and deep furrows. Form: A large tree with an irregular crown, eventually developing a flat top or short conical crown. Ponderosa pine self-prunes well and develops a clear bole. Looks like: Jeffrey pine - Apache pine - Bishop pine - Monterey pine Additional Range Information: Pinus ponderosa is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting ponderosa pine. More: Wood External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics Landowner Factsheet USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2015, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson