This is one of my favorite trees. I love the amazing, spreading shapes that ponderosa pine can produce, and I love its deep orange, furrowed bark. Found in western North America, ponderosa pine is a denizen of middle-elevation, transition ecosystems. It creates spacious, dry forests and may be our continent's best tree for listening to the "wind in the pines."

Because ponderosa pine (sometimes called "yellow pine") inhabits dry ecosystems, often below the daily onslaught of high-elevation afternoon rains in monsoon season, it takes a particularly wet year to bring out mushrooms in abundance. Mycorrhizal mushrooms associated with ponderosa pine include an unnamed, orange version of Europe's Amanita caesarea, Boletus barrowsii, Hygrophorus speciosus, several species of Russula, Suillus kaibabensis, Suillus wasatchicus, and others. Saprobic mushrooms decomposing ponderosa pine wood or litter include Fomitopsis cajanderi, Gymnopus perforans, Leucopaxillus albissimus, Neolentinus ponderosus, Porodaedalea pini, and Xeromphalina cauticinalis.

ponderosa pine is usually located in transition zones between lower elevation forests and subalpine forests; trees are not usually crowded together

needles are bundled in twos and threes, and range from 4–11 inches long . . .

. . . and they often appear bristly, in clumps near the ends of branches

mature ponderosa pine bark is a gorgeous shade of brownish orange, featuring large plates separated by dark furrows

young cones are reddish and narrow . . .

. . . but mature cones are brown and egg-shaped or nearly round, with sharp prickles

a stately ponderosa on the Arkansas River

pollen cones

resin

a gnarled, old specimen with Long's Peak in the background (can you find the famous "beaver" to the left of the summit?)

Kuo, Michael (March, 2022). Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine). Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.com website: www.mushroomexpert.com/trees/pinus_ponderosa.html

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