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Pinus ponderosa
| Common name: |
Ponderosa Pine |
Family: |
Pinaceae |
| Author: |
Douglas. ex Lawson.& C.Lawson. |
Botanical references: |
11, 60, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| Known Hazards: |
The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[222]. |
| Range: |
Western N. America - British Columbia to N. Mexico. |
| Habitat: |
Found in a variety of soils from sea level to 2800 metres[229], though mainly inland and in drier areas[60]. The best growth is from trees growing in deep well-drained soils[229]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
3 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
Physical Characteristics
An evergreen tree growing to 25m by 7m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf all year, in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.
The plant not is self-fertile.
We rate it 3/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.
The plant prefers acid and neutral soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Canopy.Edible Uses
Condiment
Gum Inner bark Seed.
Inner bark - raw or cooked[257]. Mucilaginous[105, 161, 213]. Best
harvested in the spring[257]. The inner bark can be eaten fresh, but is more
often dried, ground into a powder and either used as a thickener in soups or
is mixed with flour for making bread etc[K].
Seed - raw or cooked[63, 64, 105, 226, 257]. Rich in oil, the seed has a
slightly resinous flavour. Quite small, it is only about 8mm long[200]. The
seed can be crushed into a meal and used in making bread etc[213].
The resin has been chewed as a gum[226, 257].
Young male cones have been chewed for the juice[257].
A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are
released from the pulpwood[200].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiseptic
Diuretic Febrifuge Ophthalmic Pectoral Poultice Rubefacient Salve Skin Vermifuge Vulnerary.
Ponderosa pine was employed medicinally by several native North
American Indian tribes, who valued it especially for its antiseptic and
vulnerary properties, using it to treat a range of skin problems, cuts,
wounds, burns etc[257]. It was also valued for its beneficial effect upon the
respiratory system and was used to treat various chest and lung
complaints[257].
The turpentine obtained from the resin of all pine trees is antiseptic,
diuretic, rubefacient and vermifuge[4]. It is a valuable remedy used
internally in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints and is used both
internally and as a rub and steam bath in the treatment of rheumatic
affections[4]. It is also very beneficial to the respiratory system and so is
useful in treating diseases of the mucous membranes and respiratory
complaints such as coughs, colds, influenza and TB[4]. Externally it is a
very beneficial treatment for a variety of skin complaints, wounds, sores,
burns, boils etc and is used in the form of liniment plasters, poultices,
herbal steam baths and inhalers[4].
The branches are used in herbal steam baths as a treatment for muscular
pains[257].
A decoction of the plant tops has been used in the treatment of internal
bleeding and high fevers[257].
An infusion of the dried buds has been used as an eye wash[257].
Other Uses
Basketry
Cosmetic Dye Fuel Herbicide Insulation Resin Shelterbelt Strewing Tinder Wood.
A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[168].
A yellow dye can be made from the pollen[226].
A blue dye can be made from the roots[257].
The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain
washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of
some plants, including wheat[201].
The branches are used as a strewing herb[99].
A decoction of the plant tops has been used as a conditioning wash to give a
person a fair and smooth skin[257].
A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[200].
This tree is a source of resin, though it is not exploited commercially[64,
171]. Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but
these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction
economically worthwhile[64]. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or
by destructive distillation of the wood[4, 64]. In general, trees from warmer
areas of distribution give the higher yields[64]. Turpentine consists of an
average of 20% of the oleo-resin[64] and is separated by distillation[4, 64].
Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for
making varnish, medicinal etc[4]. Rosin is the substance left after
turpentine is removed. This is used by violinists on their bows and also in
making sealing wax, varnish etc[4]. Pitch can also be obtained from the resin
and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative, adhesive etc[257]. It
burns well and so has been used to make torches[257].
The root fibres have been used in making baskets[257].
Material for insulation and a tinder are also obtained from the tree[99].
The cones make a quick fire, whilst the scales from the trunk bark burn
easily, give off no smoke and cool quickly[213].
Wood - light, strong, fine-grained and pleasantly aromatic, the wood can
vary from soft to hard[1, 46, 82, 171, 226, 229]. An important lumber tree,
it is used for making furniture, boxes, toys etc[1, 46, 82, 171, 226, 229],
and it is also used for fuel[99]. For reasons that are unclear, some tree
stumps contain high concentrations of pitch - this makes them very
rot-resistant and inflammable and therefore useful for fence posts and
kindling[226].
Cultivation details
Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam[1, 11]. Dislikes
poorly drained moorland soils[1]. Established plants tolerate drought[200].
Seedlings strongly dislike growing in the shade[60] and are unable to succeed
under the canopy of the parent trees[226]. Plants are fairly wind
tolerant[200].
Extensively used in cool temperate forestry[200], this species is
occasionally planted for timber in central and southern Europe[50]. Growth
can be quite fast when young but it soon drops of and averages around 30cm
per year[185]. The best trees in Britain are found in a belt running from
Kent through the Midlands to N. Wales and also in S. Scotland[185]. Trees
live 300 - 600 years in the wild[229], they seem to be long-lived and healthy
in Britain[185].
Seed production commences when the tree is about 20 years old[229]. There
are usually several years of low to medium yields between each year of high
yields[229]. The cones are 8 - 15cm long, they open and shed their seed
whilst still attached to the tree and then soon fall from the tree[82, 226].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows
poorly[200]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[200].
Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the
amount of plants that can grow under the trees[18].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].
Propagation
It is best to sow the seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon
as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in late winter. A short
stratification of 6 weeks at 4° c can improve the germination of stored
seed[80]. Plant seedlings out into their permanent positions as soon as
possible and protect them for their first winter or two[11]. Plants have a
very sparse root system and the sooner they are planted into their permanent
positions the better they will grow[K]. Trees should be planted into their
permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm[200]. We
actually plant them out when they are about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they
are given a very good weed-excluding mulch they establish very well[K].
Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years.
This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[200].
Cuttings. This method only works when taken from very young trees less than
10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot.
Disbudding the shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help.
Cuttings are normally slow to grow away[81].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
PFAF Web Pages
This plant is mentioned in the following web pages
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] SW USA Dist. Maps
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [C] Taxon data.
from the CalFlora database.
- Images
from the CalPhoto database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
- [DEN] Data _ Photos
(Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
References for the family Pinaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
[63] Howes. F. N. Nuts. Faber 1948
Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable.
[64] Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber
A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.
[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.
[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.
[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
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Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Pinus+ponderosa
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