Alphabetical Plant Listing

Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)

Ponderosa Pine, Trucker Pine, Western Yellow Pine


Long-lived (up to 600 years), Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine) is a large evergreen coniferous tree of conical habit. The branches are short and pendulous, often turned up at the ends. Borne in bundles of three, the yellow-green to dark green needles, 10 in. long (25 cm), are mostly clustered at the branch ends. The oval, light brown to reddish-brown seed cones, up to 6 in. long (15 cm), grow upright but turn upside down at maturity. Quite attractive, the bark on young trees is dark brown to black, becoming bright cinnamon-brown to reddish-orange and irregularly furrowed on mature trees. Thanks to its deep taproot, Ponderosa Pine is very wind-resistant. A moderate to fast grower, it is the State Tree of Montana. Useful for groves, great for bonsais or containers.

  • Grows up to 60-100 ft. tall (18-30 m) and 25-30 ft. wide (7-9 m).
  • Performs best in full sun in medium moisture, well-drained soils. Good in coastal areas and sandy soils. Will adapt to a wide range of soil conditions. Drought tolerant once established.
  • Keep an eye out for adelgids, conifer aphid species, pine sawfly, and pine shoot moth. Deer resistant.
  • No pruning is required.
  • Native to western North America. This is one of the most widely distributed tree species in the West, growing from southern Canada into Mexico, and from Nebraska and Oklahoma all the way to the Pacific Coast.
  • Toxic to horses.
  • Find where this species is invasive in the United States.

Not sure which Pinus - Pines to pick?
Compare All Pinus - Pines

Buy Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)

Requirements

Hardiness 3 – 7
Heat Zones 5 – 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, H1
Plant Type Conifers, Trees
Plant Family Pinus - Pines
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early,Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 60' – 100' (18m – 30m)
Spread 25' – 30' (7.5m – 9m)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy, Evergreen, Fruit & Berries
Native Plants United States, California, Midwest, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Deer, Drought
Garden Styles Coastal Garden, Informal and Cottage

Buy Plants

Guides with Pinus - Pines


Dominic Gentilcore, aga7ta / Shutterstock

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


Requirements

Hardiness 3 – 7
Heat Zones 5 – 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, H1
Plant Type Conifers, Trees
Plant Family Pinus - Pines
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early,Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 60' – 100' (18m – 30m)
Spread 25' – 30' (7.5m – 9m)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy, Evergreen, Fruit & Berries
Native Plants United States, California, Midwest, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Deer, Drought
Garden Styles Coastal Garden, Informal and Cottage

Guides with Pinus - Pines

Plant Calculator

How many Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine) do I need for my garden?

%
ft
ft

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)

Find your Hardiness Zone

Find your Climate Zone

Find your Heat Zone

Join Gardenia.net

Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

Join now and start creating your dream garden!

Create a New Collection

Optional. For your reference.


Move Selected Plants to a Different Collection


Delete Collection

This field is required.

Rename Collection

This field is required.