Ponderosa pine can be tall trees, some growing over 160 feet tall and have a trunk 3 feet or more in diameter. Ponderosa pine are known for their long needles and larger then average pine cones. The cones on a yellow pine tree can be 6 - 8 inches or more.

Since ponderosa pine grow in areas with lower rainfall it has a tendancy to grow slowly with mature trees being 400 + years old.

The sapwood in a ponderosa pine tree tends to be a pale cream or bone color and in young trees make up 50% of the trees diameter. The heartwood on the other hand is a yellow or pale orange color.

Ponderosa pine is easy to work with, glues well, machines well. it is also easy to nail and finished beautifully with a shallac or oil finish. It needs to be protected from insects or the weather if being used outdoors. Ponderosa pine has at best an average resistance to decay or bugs.

Ponderosa pine is also known as

• yellow pine
• soft pine
• blackjack pine

Ponderosa pine is commonly used for

• framing lumber
• timbers
• hydro poles / piles
• window & door frames
• furniture

Toxicity

Ponderosa pine and the pine species in general are known to cause skin and respiritory irritation in some people.