Montana State Tree

Ponderosa Pine

(Pinaceae Pinus ponderosa)

Adopted in 1949.

Pinus ponderosa, Western Yellow Pine, Bull, Black Jack, Western Red, Sierra Brownbark, Heavy, Western Pitch, Ponderosa Pine. Montana's state tree has a long list of names. This stately western Montana resident has figured heavily in the development of all the West. The Ponderosa Pine, Pinaceae Pinus ponderosa, was adopted in 1949 as the state tree.

Description of the Montana State Tree

In what is now South Dakota, Lewis and Clark first observed the cones of the ponderosa pine which had floated that far on the currents of the Missouri River. Captain Lewis, particularly, took extensive notes on the tree as he passed through its habitat later during the journey west and back, but his untimely death in 1809 delayed any serious scientific study of the tree until the end of the 19th century.

Pioneers needed no detailed report to encourage their use of the pine's wood for the civilization they were building. Ponderosa timber served everywhere, from railroad ties and telegraph poles to mine bracing and homes. Only later did its long needles and attractive cones garner more scientific consideration.

In the spring of 1908, Helena's school children held a referendum on which tree best represented the state. The ponderosa easily outdistanced fir, larch, and cottonwood for the designation.

It was not until 1949, however, that the Montana Legislature bestowed its blessing. The Montana Federation of Garden Clubs carried on a year-long campaign on behalf of the ponderosa. The state forester supported it as the "most typical" of all Montana trees and the best commercial timber... "king of the forest," he called it. The Legislature agreed.

Identification

Leaf: Evergreen, 5 to 10 inches long, with three (sometimes 2) tough, yellow-green needles per fascicle. When crushed, needles have a turpentine odor sometimes reminiscent of citrus.

Flower: Monoecious; males yellow-red, cylindrical, in clusters near ends of branches; females reddish at branch tips.

Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 3 to 6 inches long, sessile, red-brown in color, armed with a slender prickle. Maturing August to September.

Twig: Stout, orange in color, turning black. Buds often covered with resin.

Bark: Very dark (nearly black) on young trees, developing cinnamon-colored plates and deep furrows.

Form: A large tree with an irregular crown, eventually developing a flat top or short conical crown. Ponderosa pine self-prunes well and develops a clear bole.

Statute

TITLE 8
GENERAL PROVISIONS

CHAPTER 3
STATE SEAL, FLAG, FLOWER, BIRD AND OTHER SYMBOLS
8 3 106. State tree.
The Populus Sargentii commonly called cottonwood tree, is the state tree of Wyoming.

Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Ponderosa Pine

Source:
Dendrology at Virginia Tech
US Department of Agriculture