Virginia Tech Dendrology

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. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information