February EcoQuest - Ponderosa pine
February EcoQuest – Ponderosa pine
One of the most common trees found in the foothills of the metro area is Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum, or ponderosa pine. Ponderosa pine is found from British Columbia south throughout the western and central U.S. There are three varieties of ponderosa pine, and here in Colorado we have variety scopulorum. Ponderosa pine has the distinction of being the mostly widely distributed pine in North America. It is even found as an introduced plant in Europe and New Zealand.
Ponderosa pine can be easily distinguished from other native pine species by the following characteristics: long leaves or “needles” in groups of two or three, orange-brown bark arranged in vertical “plates,” and open cones with a sharp tip on each scale. Pinus ponderosa has the longest needles of any of our native pines, reaching to about 7 inches in length. For a delightful treat, get close to a ponderosa pine and smell the bark – it has the wonderful aroma of vanilla or butterscotch!
In Colorado, ponderosa pines occupy approximately 2 million acres of land or roughly 8% of the state’s forested land. You will find ponderosa pines from about 6,000 to 9,000 ft. in elevation, and they are a dominant tree in our foothills ecosystem. Our ponderosa pines reach up to 160 ft. in height and are relatively resistant to high intensity fires thanks to their elevated crown and thick bark.
See if you can locate some Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum and help Denver Botanic Gardens by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of February. Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.
