Pinaceae / Pinus monophylla / Single-Leaf Pinyon

An outlier from many of our Sierra Nevadan Pines, P. monophylla is often more at home among the vast desert skies than the towering mountain ridges. Despite being a common occurrence throughout the eastern and southern range, they tend to prefer hanging along the edges where vegetation is slightly more sparse, rarely drawing attention to themselves. However, venture out into the adjacent Great Basin Desert and you can find entire forests of these pines, often mixed with various Juniper (most often Juniperus osteosperma / Utah Juniper).

Inhabiting a moderate elevation range of 1000-2500m, P. monophylla holds the distinction of being the worlds only one-needled pine. Generally a smaller (~10-15m tall, < ~80cm diameter) tree with a much-branched crown; majestic isn’t the word that first comes to mind. The aforementioned single-bundled needles are gray to blue-green and often curved.

The extremely sappy cones are roughly 4-10 cm long and green when closed, gradually expanding a bit larger into a brownish color as they open. These grow over a 2-year cycle, which means we see both immature and mature cones on the same tree at the same time. Despite the relatively small cones, the seeds are comparatively one of the largest. These are 10-20mm long with a very thin shell which can be easily cracked between the fingers or your teeth like a sunflower seed.

A favorite treat of the Pinyon Jay (the primary gardener of these trees), they are also a delicacy for humans as well. And while these trees have a multitude of human uses ranging from utilitarian to medicinal to brewing; it is these seeds that are the most sought-after prize. A staple for indigenous and local folks within their range, they are incomparably better than their imported counterparts by our humble estimation.