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Piñon Pine

pressed pinion pine needles with pinecone
Piñon Pine (Pinus edulis) is a relatively small tree found on dry slopes and mesas at lower elevations (4,500-9,000’) of southwestern North America. In Colorado, this pine most often populates the canyon country of the Western Slope and in the oak-shrub zone of the southern mountains and plains. Amazingly, this tree can live up to 1,000 years, making it a fixture in high desert landscapes1. In a landscape of pines, identifying the Pinus edulis is fairly simple—this species is often densely branched from nearly the ground all the way to the crown, growing up to 20 feet tall, often giving it a bushy appearance, unlike the tall and sparse look of a ponderosa pine. The needles of this pine come in pairs, earning it the nickname “two needle piñon.” Often growing with Juniperus, the two trees make up the iconic piñon/juniper (“p-j”) woodlands which cover nearly 100 million acres across the southwest, representing the third largest vegetation type in the continental U.S.  

The seeds of the piñon are a rich source of protein and fats, providing a bounty for small mammals and breeding birds, and serves a keystone role in the structuring of a myriad of ecological relationships. Pinus edulis doesn’t come to sexual maturity until 75 to 100 years of age, but begin producing cones as early as 35 years, and the cones that house their seeds often don’t reach full ripeness until 3 years into their growth cycle1. Deer, bear, and desert bighorn sheep thrive on the pine nuts, as do birds in the corvid family such as Stellar’s and Piñon jays as well as Clark’s nutcrackers. The Piñon jay offers a special symbiosis, a mutually beneficial relationship, with the pinyon pine, as these birds help disperse seeds found in their cones to help propagate the tree. These seeds don’t solely offer sustenance to wildlife but humankind as well. 

Native peoples, going back to the earliest pueblo cultures, were sustained by this complex ecosystem, with the Piñon pine’s seeds offering a hardy source of protein and fats. According to the USDA, a cup of pine nuts, the colloquial term for the seeds of the piñon pine, accounts for over 900 calories and 18 grams of protein, roughly a third of our daily value for caloric intake. Native peoples assuredly used these nutritionally valuable seeds for sustenance but also fashioned rope and cord from juniper and piñon bark, and roof beams for their houses3. Pinus edulis provided a staple food, along with other vegetation in the area, to Indigenous people both in the past and present. Unfortunately, in recent decades, both the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have destroyed large tracts of p-j woodlands across North America through the use of ‘chaining,’ a destructive means of clearing land by the use of two bulldozers with an heavy chain strung between them, as a government subsidy to the livestock industry2. 

The loss of wild nature is a profound and disheartening affront to the spirit of people everywhere. There are values to be found in the unspoiled grasslands, woodlands, and forests beyond any price. For those familiar with the native cultures of New Mexico and southern Colorado, there are few things more precious than the scent of roasting pine nuts over a pinon fire on a chill autumn morning.

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1. Anderson, M. (2002). Pinus edulis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
2. Timbimboo-Madsen, P. (2011). 018-Native American Uses of Utah Forest Trees. Utah State University, Forestry Division. 
3. Shellbach, L. (1933). Grand Canyon Nature Notes, [Online]. Grand Canyon National Park. http://npshistory.com/nature_notes/grca/vol8-9c.htm