The Ponderosa Pine in my yard have unusually long needles. How did the big ice storm affect them? Come into my post and take a look!
Here's the first post on the Great Willamette Valley Ice Storm of 2016. I've already shown the effect of the ice on my Sequoia and Larch Trees; Blue Spruce and Western Redcedar Trees; Noble Fir, Grand Fir, and Eastern White Pine Trees; and two sets of Douglas-Firs. I'll be showing how the ice affected other trees and plants in future photosets, like River Birch, fruit trees, garden plants, and more.
Ponderosa Pine
Ponderosa Pine trees (Pinus ponderosa) are such iconic conifers of the western US! You can spot them in a lot of the old movie westerns. But with so many different mountain ranges, high desert plateaus, and river valleys across such a large region, Ponderosa Pines have unique genetics and characteristics in different parts of the West. Where I live, in Oregon's Willamette Valley, there is a very unique Ponderosa Pine, that occurs only here (Pinus ponderosa var. willamettensis).
Most of these Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pines were logged out with the land rush in the late 1800s. But a few stands remained - some nearby. People started collecting seed cones, raising seedlings in nurseries, and encouraging people to plant these special trees across the Willamette Valley. These trees don't mind soggy soils in our wet winter and have a much deeper taproot that keeps them upright in big windstorms. The trees grow really fast and their needles are the longest of all the different Ponderosa Pines.
I hope you enjoy this look at how these special Ponderosa Pine trees handled the big ice storm.
Every tree and every branch came through the storm just fine! I'm glad of that. And I appreciate them more than ever now! I'll post more about these special Ponderosa Pines in the future, so stay tuned!
How Is Your Winter Going?
Do you have any Ponderosa Pines where you live? Have you ever been through an ice storm? Have you ever had trees hurt by winter weather? I hope your winter is going great!
Other posts in this Ice Storm Series:
- The Great Willamette Valley Ice Storm of 2016
- Sequoia and Larch Trees
- Blue Spruce and Western Redcedar Trees
- Noble Fir, Grand Fir, and Eastern White Pine Trees
- Douglas-Firs 1
- Douglas Firs 2
Follow me to see more ice storm photosets, including how the ice affected my River Birch, Ponderosa Pine, fruit trees, and more.
Sources:
- Pinus ponderosa: Geographic Races and Subspecies Based on Morphological Variation
- Pinus ponderosa var: willamettensis
- Loggers give unique Oregon ponderosa pine a lifeline
** Haphazard Homestead **
*** foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land ***
