Pinaceae (pine family) Pinus

Pinus edulis Colorado pinyon

Wyoming to Southern California

The Colorado pinyon, or nut pine, is a small ornamental tree with inch-long needles in twos and stocky cones about 2 inches high. The edible seeds are harvested in the wild for sale. A specimen used to be located at 525 Los Arboles Avenue, visible from Searsville Road, partly obscured behind a fence.

Pinus monopylla, the singleleaf pinyon pine, extends throughout the Great Basin and into Eastern California. P. quadrifolia (Parry pinyon pine) and P. edulis have limited distribution in Southern California, and there is debate over the taxonomic status of those populations.

Name derivation: Pinus – Latin for pine; edulis – edible (the seeds).

About this Entry: The main text of this entry is from the book Trees of Stanford and Environs, by Ronald Bracewell, published 2005. Common name changed from piñon to Colorado piñon, notes on other species added c 2005 (John Rawlings). Specimen removal noted Jan 2019 (SP).