SINGLELEAF PINYON

Pinus monophylla

Pine Family (Pinaceae)

This little pine tree is the typical pinyon of foothill woodlands throughout the Great Basin. Even more drought-hardy than its more widespread relative pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), it makes a fine specimen plant for waterwise home landscapes. It features a shape that is quite rounded and regular in both young plants and mature trees. Its foliage is a beautiful, dark, blue-green, with the needles in each cluster fused into a single needle. Singleleaf pinyon produces large cones and seeds, and is the wild species most commonly collected for the commercial pinenut market because of the large size of the nuts and the high productivity of the trees. Trees reach reproductive maturity in about ten years. You will need multiple trees to produce pinenuts, as cross-pollination is essential. Singleleaf pinyon will rarely need any supplemental water after establishment, so water sparingly if at all, as too much water can be a problem. Singleleaf pinyon combines well with big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, dwarf yucca, and Utah Juniper.