Ponderosa Pine Trees
Ever smelled a Ponderosa Pine tree? Not just your average pine tree – like the Scotch pine or Blue Spruce you dragged into the house over the holidays that dropped pine needles and sap on your floor (though they are lovely in their own right). I don’t imagine many people would want a Ponderosa to decorate – they typically have a long tall bare trunk before the clump of long needles at the top.
Ponderosas do grow nice and tall and straight, which makes them a favorite of loggers. But they’re my favorite for an entirely different reason.
The bark of the live tree doesn’t smell like pine at all – it smells like vanilla and butterscotch. Really. The warmer the weather, the stronger the scent. You have to get pretty close – you might easily be mistaken for hugging the tree (horrors!) but a pleasant surprise awaits you if you dare.
While you’re up close, gently tug off a few chunks of bark that look like they’re about to shed anyway. When you begin to peel of the layers, you’ll see a lovely jigsaw pattern interleaved in the bark. Beautiful as it is, don’t get as carried away as this photo – it could damage the tree or expose it to insects unnecessarily.
But isn’t it amazing? Butterscotch and puzzles in the woods. No wonder I love the place these beautiful trees grow.
