Pinyon Pine, Pine nut
Pinus edulis

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows 8-15 m high and spreads 6 m wide. The crown is rounded. The leaves are short and stiff and blue-green. They have 1-4 short needles. The cone is small. The seeds are large and nut like and edible.

There are over 100 species of Pinus. It is the emblem of the New Mexico State of the USA.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. Trees are very cold hardy. They can tolerate temperatures down to -35°C. It can grow in deserts.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Central America, Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The inner bark is eaten. The seeds are eaten raw or roasted. They are ground and used in bread, cookies, sweets, ice cream, sauces, and stuffing. The roasted seeds are used in coffees. The needles are brewed into tea. The soft centres of the young cones are roasted to form a syrup. The sweet cambium or soft wood layer is cut into strips and cooked like spaghetti.

The seeds or nuts are popular. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Seeds, bark, resin

How it is grown

Trees are slow growing. They take 25 years to produce the first cones. They can live for 400 years. Cones open on the tree so need to be picked.

Its other names

Local names

American pinon, Colarado pinon, Pignolia, Rocky Mountain pinyon, Two-leaved Pine, Colorado pine

Synonyms

Caryopitys edulis (Engelm.) Small; Pinus cembroides var. edulis (Engelm.) Voss; Pinus monophylla var. edulis (Engelm.) M. E. Jones;