Piñon Pine

New Mexico State Tree

PinyonTreestatetreeNM.jpg

Pinyon tree (Pinus edulis)

Two-Needle piñon pine tree (Pinus edulis); photo by Johnida Dockens on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).

Official State Tree of New Mexico

New Mexico designated the piñon pine, or nut pine (Pinus edulis) as the official state tree in 1948. Sometimes called two-needle piñon, it is found mostly in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. All State Trees

The piñon pine (pronounced "pinyon") grows very slowly and reaches 15-35 feet when mature. The seeds of the piñon pine tree (pine nuts) were collected by Native Americans for centuries and are also a food source for birds, bears and other wildlife. Piñon wood gives off a distinctive and very pleasant incense smell when burned.

New Mexico

Images

Piñon tree pine nuts; photo by alan madrid on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).

Piñon tree pine nuts

Videos

The Traditional Pinyon Pine Nut Picking of the Navajo