What is this?

[BigV]

Good close guess... you may be right. Two needles per bundle, semi circular in cross section so when pressed lightly together the show a round bundle, puzzle piece bark, very fast growing. There's a lovely Western Hemlock next door, and an amazing Western Red Cedar across the alley. It's a very green neighborhood.

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by BigV

Good close guess... you may be right. Two needles per bundle, semi circular in cross section so when pressed lightly together the show a round bundle, puzzle piece bark, very fast growing. There's a lovely Western Hemlock next door, and an amazing Western Red Cedar across the alley. It's a very green neighborhood.

That sounds like Ponderosa Pine. The ones in Colorado have 2 or 3 needles per bundle and the needles are 3 to 6 inches long. The bark is thick and smells of vanilla. We have about 50 in our yard, along with a few Douglas-fir and about a dozen aspen.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by HLJ

That sounds like Ponderosa Pine. The ones in Colorado have 2 or 3 needles per bundle and the needles are 3 to 6 inches long. The bark is thick and smells of vanilla. We have about 50 in our yard, along with a few Douglas-fir and about a dozen aspen.

There are beautiful stands of Ponderosa east of the mountains.. Pics maybe later. The bark on this on is the right shape but definitely thinner. Everything else matches. It is very fast growing. We planted it in the yard when we moved in, now it's the biggest tree on the property.