AllI know about the ponderosa, Jeffreyi, arizonae thing is that they are delightful plants, a sure sign that you have reached the cool high country. As an equal opportunity collector of firewood, I don't care about a bit as to whether there are three or five needles in a bundle.

As an archaeologist, I am delighted to encounter ponderosa and its variants because the wood (or charcoal) gives reliable tree ring dates, though not quite as good as Douglas Fir.

And I love the sound of the wind in the pines, whatever strain they are.