4. Ponderosa Pine Tree

Figure 6: Ponderosa Pina
aka. Western Yellow Pine
Pinus ponderosa
(Photo by author)


The largest species, and arguably the most dominant, along the trail was the ponderosa pine tree. It was the first species I was able to identify.

Figure 7: Acorn

This close-up of an acorn was helpful in identifying the tree.

(Photo by author)

On my trek up Skeena trail I was constantly in the presence of clustered ponderosa pines. In May of 2011 dozens of ponderosa pines were removed due to pine beetle infestations, but they are still the dominant species on the trail. I was able to identify these trees through a close-up shot of a pine-cone, which I would later interpret as having a similar shape and girth as the ponderosa pine depicted in my "North American Wildlife" guide. It was the first of my selected species that I was able to identify, and also one of the most interesting in term of its uses for Aboriginal people. My research indicated that Ponderosa Pine trees were used for everything from canoe-building to medicinal purposes (Government of B.C. 2011).

Location (North America): some parts of southern BC, central and eastern United States, northern Mexico (Reader's Digest 1982:290) Habitat: thrives in dry, mountainous areas but can also survive in deep, damp soils; deep roots penetrate dry topsoil to reach untapped moisture below; strong roots create wind resistance, so variable weather is not an issue (Government of B.C. 2011). Size: 150 - 180 feet tall (Government of B.C. 2011). Characteristics: needles 4-7 inches long and clustered in groups of 2 or 3; pine-cones with fine prickles; bark composed of interlocking "plates," jagged; bark orangey-brown to black in colour Notes: Fires are common in ponderosa pine forests but the bark is resistant and will not burn as severely as the dry habitat surrounding it. The bark can often be seen with fire scars, which can provide details to the history of fire activity in the past (Government of B.C. 2011). Many Aboriginal peoples within the BC Interior had many uses for the ponderosa pine including eating of the seeds and inner bark, crafting canoes out of the trunk, using the tree resin for waterproofing and medicinal ointment (Government of B.C. 2011).

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