Southwestern Piñon Pine
Pinus edulis

ECOLOGY
In general pine species provide seeds and vital habitat for birds and mammals. Many are larval host for lepidoptera like the Chiricahua White butterfly (Neophasia terlootii), the Pandora pinemoth (Coloradia pandora), the Pine White butterfly (Neophasia menapia), the Western Conifer Looper (Caripeta aequaliaria), the Pandora Pinemoth (Coloradia pandora) the snout moth Dioryctria pentictonella, and the Variable Girdle Moth (Sabulodes venata). Many insects are associated with pines which in turn provide food for several species of birds. The seeds are dispersed by the pinyon jay, which plucks them out of the open cones. The jay, which uses the seeds as a food resource, stores many of the seeds for later use, and some of these stored seeds are not used and are able to grow into new trees. The seeds are also eaten by wild turkey, Montezuma quail, and various mammals. Pines are keystone species in elevations where they occur. Pine nuts are an important food for the thick billed parrot which used to occur in southern Arizona, but was extirpated by Europeans when they arrived in the southwest. The thick billed parrot still occurs in Mexico and many are hopeful that the parrot may make a comeback. Arid conditions caused by global warming has hurt our native pine populations, especially the higher elevation pines. Arid-growing pines like this and the regular piñon pine may become more dominant of the regions where the higher elevation pines are being decimated.

ETHNOBOTANY
The nuts are widely collected and eaten by many indigenous people, and this is the main piñon used in the commercial pine nut harvest in the southwest. The pitch can be used for wounds or cuts and sometimes it is used to dye wool. The needles are used by many people for medicinal purposes. The wood is used to construct a number of items. Needles are used to make small baskets.

Pinus edulis has been very widely used since the development of dendrochronology; a recent search found it referenced in 147 papers. In the early 20th century crossdating techniques were used to assign calendar dates to timbers used in the construction of early Native American cliff dwellings and other structures. Later the species was used to develop climate reconstructions, first at the local scale and then as part of large tree-ring data networks covering sub-continental scales. In recent years the uses of the species have further expanded to include streamflow reconstructions, studies of erosion and alluviation, forest demography and succession, forest growth responses to climate change and changing carbon dioxide concentrations, and a host of more esoteric problems in archeology, tree physiology, climate studies, ecology, and geology. More than almost any other tree species, it acts as an articulate witness of all that it experiences in its long lifetime.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Found on dry slopes and flats, from 5,000-7,000’ in the rocky mountain and sky island portion of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico.

TAXONOMY AND NAME
This plant is in the Pinaceae, the pine family. There are 134 species of pines worldwide (with many subspecies and varieties).
Pinus is the ancient Latin name for pines. The species name “edulis” means edible in Latin.