pinyon pine Pinaceae Pinus edulis Engelm. symbol: PIED Leaf: Evergreen needles, 1 to 2 inches long, usually two per fascicle, coarse, stiff, thick, curved, blue-green or yellow-green. Flower: Species is monoecious; males red, cylindrical, in clusters near ends of branches; females purplish at branch tips. Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 2 inches long, short stalked, brown in color, with very thick cone scales; each scale contains two very large, edible "pine nuts"; maturing in the fall. Twig: Stout and orange-brown, somewhat scraggly. Bark: Scaly or with small plates, red-brown to gray. Form: A small, spreading almost bushy tree with an irregular, rounded crown. reaching up to 45 feet tall. Looks like: singleleaf pinyon - Parry pine Additional Range Information: Pinus edulis is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting pinyon pine. External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson