Pinus ponderosa ssp. scopulorum - Conifer - Ponderosa Pine, Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine, Western Yellow Pine Page

Over the years, Pinus ponderosa ssp. scopulorum, also known as the Ponderosa Pine, Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine, or Western Yellow Pine has been used medicinally by various North American Indian tribes. They valued it for its antiseptic and vulnerary properties, using it to treat skin problems, cuts, wounds, burns, and respiratory system conditions, among others. The turpentine obtained from the resin of all pine trees is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient, and vermifuge and is useful in treating various ailments such as kidney and bladder complaints, rheumatic affections, and respiratory complaints. Ponderosa pine is a widespread and dominant tree in the Kuchler plant association Ponderosa shrub forest, found on the Black Hills and on foothills and mid-height peaks of the northern, central, and southern Rocky Mountains as well as the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Its unique bark is orange with black lining the crevices where the bark splits, making it easy to identify. Its needles grow in tufts of three, and its subspecies are adapted to different climatic conditions, such as the Pacific Ponderosa Pine in California and the Southwestern Ponderosa Pine in Arizona.