As the name would suggest, ponderosa pines are very large trees. The needles are very long- up to maybe 10 or 12 inches. They are a highly fire-resistant species when they are older. Though very old trees aren't very common these days, you can see them occasionally. They tend to have no limbs on the lower part of the tree, so fires can burn under them without climbing into the canopy. Their bark is thick, so they are well-protected from ground fires after they are mature.
This tree was a medium-sized tree, perhaps two to three feet in diameter at the base. The broom was at the base of the canopy, perhaps 60 feet from the ground. Since it was nearly dark, I couldn't tell if it would be safe to shoot pieces out of it. I also don't have any Pinus ponderosa root stocks ready, so I'll have to wait until next year.
If this broom turns out to be a good one for propagation, the resulting plants will only be appropriate for very large gardens. Who knows how fast it will grow, however. This will definitely be one to observe over a couple of decades :)
