NPS/Amy Gaiennie

Ponderosa Pine

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
The name ponderosa comes from the Latin word “ponderous,” meaning of very great weight. In shaded and moist canyons, it can tower to 150 feet tall. Out on the arid slickrock of Zion’s higher elevations, the ponderosa seldom gets that tall. More often it is stunted and twisted, growing in fantastic shapes on hoodoos and in cracks, often resembling Japanese bonsai. It has a characteristic orange bark, which has a sweet smell that some identify as butterscotch, while others call vanilla.


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