Photos and references: http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/pinyon.html http://www.usanpn.org/Pinus_edulis http://forestry.about.com/od/conifers/tp/Pinus_edulis.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Pinyon

Pinus Edulis can be found in a variety of arid environments because of its resistance to shade and drought. Pinus Edulis has been identified as the state tree of New Mexico. Therefore its no surprise that this pinyon pine can be found mainly in the intermountain region of North America. Pinus Edulis can be found growing along with Juniper. Pinyon is native to the southern Rocky Mountain region, predominantly in the foothills, from Colorado and Utah south to central Arizona and southern New Mexico. Also locally in southwestern Wyoming, extreme northwestern Oklahoma, the Trans-Pecos area of Texas, southeastern California and northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico.

Pinus Edulis species grow from 16 up to 50 feet tall, though due to its slow growth rate it is rare to see heights taller than 35 feet. Inlcuding the diameter growth being at a slow rate with small growth rates of 4 to 6 inches every hundreds of years.

Cones can be seen at 25 years of age, these thick cones produce nuts that are edible. Also the wood is used as fragrance when burnt. The edible seeds, pine nuts are extensively collected throughout its range; in many areas, the seed harvest rights are owned by Native American tribes, for whom the species is of immense cultural and economic importance.