Pinus ponderosa is an evergreen Tree growing to 25 m by 7 m at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf all year, in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile.
Suitable for: light and medium soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon Management: Standard Regional Timber
Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils. Established plants tolerate drought. Seedlings strongly dislike growing in the shade and are unable to succeed under the canopy of the parent trees. Plants are fairly wind tolerant. Extensively used in cool temperate forestry, this species is occasionally planted for timber in central and southern Europe. Growth can be quite fast when young but it soon drops of and averages around 30cm per year. The best trees in Britain are found in a belt running from Kent through the Midlands to N. Wales and also in S. Scotland. Trees live 300 - 600 years in the wild, they seem to be long-lived and healthy in Britain. Seed production commences when the tree is about 20 years old. There are usually several years of low to medium yields between each year of high yields. The cones are 8 - 15cm long, they open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree and then soon fall from the tree. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the amount of plants that can grow under the trees. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
Habitatsthough mainly inland and in drier areas. The best growth is from trees growing in deep well-drained soils.
HabitatsWoodland Garden Canopy
HabitatsWoodland Garden Canopy
Major pests
- Arceuthobium campylopodum
Armillaria ostoyae
Choristoneura lambertiana
Coloradia pandora
Cronartium comandrae
Cronartium comptoniae
Cydia piperana
Dendroctonus adjunctus
Dendroctonus brevicomis
Dendroctonus ponderosae
Dendroctonus valens
Dioryctria auranticella
Diprion similis
Endocronartium harknessii
Ips calligraphus
Ips grandicollis
Ips lecontei
Ips paraconfusus
Ips pini
Megastigmus albifrons
Monochamus obtusus
Mycosphaerella gibsonii
Mycosphaerella pini
Neodiprion sertifer
Ophiostoma wageneri
Petrova metallica
Rhyacionia frustrana
Sirex noctilio
Sirococcus conigenus
Sphaeropsis sapinea
Tomicus piniperda
Minor pests
- Arceuthobium americanum
Arceuthobium laricis
Armillaria mellea
Atropellis piniphila
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
Cirsium vulgare
Coleosporium asterum
Cronartium quercuum
Cyclaneusma minus
Fomitopsis pinicola
Fusarium sporotrichioides
Ganoderma lucidum
Gibberella circinata
Gremmeniella abietina
Heterobasidion annosum
Heterobasidion annosum sensu lato
Heterobasidion parviporum
Ips plastographus
Leptographium procerum
Linaria dalmatica
Monochamus alternatus
Mycosphaerella dearnessii
Orgyia pseudotsugata
Pissodes validirostris
Pratylenchus penetrans
Rhyacionia buoliana
Sirex juvencus
Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Thecodiplosis japonensis