Pinus edulis

Common Names

Pinyon Pine, Piñon Pine, Colorado Pinyon, Pinon Pine, Nut Pine, Two-Needle Pinyon, Two-Leaf Pinyon, Piñon

Summary

The piñon pine is a slow-growing evergreen native to the southwestern United States, forming pinyon–juniper woodlands on dry slopes at elevations around 1,200–2,450 m. It is typically 3–15 m tall with a broad crown, has blue-green needles in bundles of two that are 2–4 cm long, and produces 3.5–5 cm cones containing edible seeds that mature in about 2–3 years.

In cultivation it prefers full sun and well-drained soils, is drought-tolerant once established, and requires deep, infrequent watering early on with minimal fertilization. It suits landscape uses as a specimen tree or in xeriscapes, provides edible pine nuts, and seed dispersal is mainly by birds such as pinyon jays and scrub jays; hardiness covers zones 4–8.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

10-20 ft

Spread

10-20 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, tolerates partial shade

Soil Type

No single ideal soil; generally well-drained, preferably sandy or rocky, dry with low fertility, and pH 6.5–8.4.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.5–7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Bloom Color

Yellow, Yellowish to red-brown

Bloom Time

No seasonal bloom

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

No fall foliage color

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen needle

Growth Rate

Slow growth.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Fall, and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Birds: Yes — seed dispersal by corvids (Clark's nutcracker, Steller's jay, scrub jay, pinyon jay); nuts eaten by turkeys.