Ponderosa Pine

Ponderosa Pine is a handsome native tree from western North America. In gardens it is an ideal choice for larger spaces, or for informal settings, such as a cottage or beach house. It is a fast-growing tree, adding more than 12 inches of height each year, and it grows between 60 and 125 feet tall in time. Mature trees have a tall trunk, with attractive orange-brown bark furrowed into large, roughly rectangular plates. Its branches are horizontal to descending, giving the tree a broad conical shape when younger, and a narrower conical shape when older. The needles are in bunches of three or sometimes two, and they are up to 10 inches long. The 6-inch-long cones are upright as they develop but hang down when mature.

• Rugged American native pine tree
• Long needles and large cones
• Ideal large tree for open spaces
• Resistant to cold, deer and salt-spray
• Fast growing – more than 12 inches a year

Ponderosa Pine grows best in sandy, well-drained soils, although it will grow well in any soil that is not constantly wet. It is among the most resistant of species to salt-spray, making it an ideal choice for seaside gardens. It is hardy all through zone 4, with temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, and when established it has good drought resistance, It is also rarely if ever bothered by deer, and it has few significant pests or diseases.