Conifer Identification - Ask Extension
I am having a hard time identifying the two conifers in my yard. I am working with the Backyard Habitat Program and they think they may be Ponderosa's...
Knowledgebase
Conifer Identification #939158
Asked July 13, 2026, 6:46 PM EDT
I am having a hard time identifying the two conifers in my yard. I am working with the Backyard Habitat Program and they think they may be Ponderosa's, but I do not.
They are 80ft plus tall, straight trunk and a rounded crown. Bark is thick, puzzle‑piece plates. Needles are, 4–7 inches in groups of 2. Cones are egg‑shaped, 3–6 inches long with prickles on the tips of the scales. Attached are photos for reference. Any help to guide me would be appreciated. Thank you.
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
There are a few two-needle pines. Specific identification is certainly easier in person than with photos. The Washington County Master Gardeners have some in-person clinic times, if you can get there with a branch and cone. Contact information is here. The Metro Master Gardeners (here) offer a way to link up with phone and email. Sometimes email is better than this online forum for passing back and forth full size photos.
The Pinus contorta, with three sub-species, is native to Oregon and here is the Oregon Landscape Plants page, giving descriptions. To the right on it are other pines, so this can be a good resource for you to explore.
Few of us can identify the pines at a glance. Provide more photos, like a cone in your hand for size, a few bundles of needles pulled separate from the branch, to show if they twist outward. Are they always in groups of two? Do they “snap” if you fold them? I’ll do my best to offer a firm ID here if the other options don’t work for you.
The Pinus contorta, with three sub-species, is native to Oregon and here is the Oregon Landscape Plants page, giving descriptions. To the right on it are other pines, so this can be a good resource for you to explore.
Few of us can identify the pines at a glance. Provide more photos, like a cone in your hand for size, a few bundles of needles pulled separate from the branch, to show if they twist outward. Are they always in groups of two? Do they “snap” if you fold them? I’ll do my best to offer a firm ID here if the other options don’t work for you.
