And in the last several years, a lot of wildfire conditions have been too much for these pines.
But it cannot handle too-hot fire any more than a human body can bathe in boiling water. The Ponderosa has evolved for and adapted to fire.
After the fire, the exposed soil is open for new germination of seedlings.Īt least, this is the situation the tree would choose if it were able. In this way, the Ponderosa pine simultaneously sheds its old skin while creating more space for itself and its future brood. It scatters pieces of its thick, cinnamon-colored bark, casting fire across the ground as if it were juggling lit torches. When flames do arrive, the Ponderosa shakes them off.
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