ponderosa pine

open main page for all woods open page 2 for articles

PINE, PONDEROSA

Pinus ponderosa
Pinus ponderosa of the family Pinaceae, native to the USA, Mexico, and Canada but also grows in Australia. This species has several "pine" names which it apparently does not share with other pine species, but it also has some that it DOES share with other pine species.

Non-shared names include Arizona ponderosa pine, Arizona yellow pine, big pine, bird's eye pine, black hills ponderosa pine, blackjack pine, British Columbia pine, British Columbia soft pine, bull pine (Australia), California white pine, California yellow pine, foothills yellow pine, heavy pine, heavy-wooded pine, knotty pine (Canada), Pacific ponderosa pine, pine, pole pine, rock pine, Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine, Western pitch pine, Western yellow pine, and Western yellow pine (Australia, Canada).

Shared names include: Arizona pine, Arizona white pine, lodgepole pine, longleaf pine, Oregon pine, pitch pine, prickly pine, red pine, yellow pine

In addition to all that, there are two other species that also have the word "ponderosa" as part of their name and these are:

Pinus arizona = Arizona ponderosa pine
Pinus scopulorum = black hills ponderosa pine, interior ponderosa pine, and rocky mountain ponderosa pine (this species has a few other names as well including mountain pine, prickly pine, rocky mountain pine, and table mountain pine

A NOTE ABOUT PINES IN THE USA

my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of ponderosa Pine / Pinus ponderosa --- HUGE enlargements are present

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of ponderosa Pine / Pinus ponderosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

NOT A RAW WOOD COLOR --- both faces of this sample have a light coat of clear paste wax although I'm not sure it made any difference on this piece
both sides of a sample plank of ponderosa pine / Pinus ponderosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

first face and the end grain of a sample of Western yellow pine / Pinus ponderosa. This part of a collection which is discussed here: COLLECTION A

the second face, before and after s showing how the patina from aging is only surface deep.

end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above.

both sides of a sample plank of "bear scratch" ponderosa pine / Pinus ponderosa --- HUGE enlargements are present and the "bear claw" striations are clear in the enlargements. The "bear scratch" marks are only moderately clear in the pics (much clearer in the enlargements) but are clear on the wood itself, although you have to hold the wood at an angle to the light to see them really clearly.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above --- note how the "bear scratch" irregularities appear in these pics to be either saw marks or grain lines, but as seen clearly in the update below are actually neither one. They are caused by what I call the "normal" form of indented grain

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of "bear scratch" ponderosa pine / Pinus ponderosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. The "bear scratch" marks are only moderately clear in the pics (much clearer in the enlargements) but are clear on the wood itself, although you have to hold the wood at an angle to the light to see them really clearly.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above. The "bear scratch" figure is caused by what I call the "normal" form of indented grain, which can be seen very clearly in this pic.

both sides of a sample plank of ponderosa pine / Pinus ponderosa with bear scratch figure [indented grain] --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

The Wood Book pics

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) listed as California yellow pine and bull pine, from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are present for all 3 views

web pics: