Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)

Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine) has a tall, open crown with a long, clean trunk. At maturity, it is 42 inches in diameter and stands 165 feet tall. Male and female cones are found on the same tree, but they are not the same. Male cones are tiny, yellowish, and clumped together. When grown, female cones are around 4 inches long. Short, sharp, out-curved prickles adorn the tips of the cone scales. All pines, including female cones, take two growing seasons to mature. Small seeds, about 14 inches long, with a 1 inch long wide terminal wing. Needle-like, in "bundles" of threes, with twos thrown in infrequently. The leaves are thick and dark to yellow-green in color, with a length of around 7 inches.