ENH-616

Pinus cembroides: Mexican Pinyon1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2

Introduction cones mature and drop in autumn. The seeds found within the cones are quite popular with many birds and mammals A native North American tree, Mexican Pinyon is usually - including man. Eaten either raw or toasted, Pinyon Pine found 20 to 30 feet tall with a spread of 15 to 20 feet, nuts have a wonderful flavor. although it may sometimes be larger. It forms a compact, conical silhouette, producing a rounded canopy with age, and the lower branches are maintained on the tree, provid- General Information ing dense cover to the ground unless shaded-out by other Scientific name: Pinus cembroides growth. The stiff, blue/green needles are 1 to 1.5 inches Pronunciation: PIE-nus sem-BROY-deez long and the small, one to two-inch, yellow or red/brown Common name(s): Mexican Pinyon, Pinyon Pine Family: Pinaceae USDA hardiness zones: 5B through 8B (Fig. 2) Origin: native to North America Invasive potential: little invasive potential Uses: specimen; highway median; Bonsai; reclamation Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree

Figure 1. Young Pinus cembroides: Mexican Pinyon Figure 2. Range Credits: Ed Gilman

1. This document is ENH-616, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2006. Reviewed February 2014. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, former associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Description Culture Height: 20 to 30 feet Light requirement: full sun Spread: 15 to 20 feet Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; alkaline; acidic; Crown uniformity: symmetrical well-drained Crown shape: round Drought tolerance: high Crown density: moderate Aerosol salt tolerance: unknown Growth rate: slow Texture: fine Other Roots: not a problem Foliage Winter interest: no Leaf arrangement: alternate (Fig. 3) Outstanding tree: no Leaf type: simple Ozone sensitivity: unknown Leaf margin: entire Verticillium wilt susceptibility: resistant Leaf shape: needle-like (filiform) Pest resistance: resistant to pests/diseases Leaf venation: parallel Leaf type and persistence: fragrant, needled evergreen, Use and Management evergreen Mexican Pinyon should be grown in full sun on well- Leaf blade length: less than 2 inches drained soil, tolerating dry, poor, alkaline soils but not wet Leaf color: blue or blue-green, green soils. It is probably best not to irrigate this tree much after Fall color: no color change it is established in the landscape. Fall characteristic: not showy Pests One pest of Mexican Pinyon is the Pine tip moth. Although it will kill some new growth, the result is simply to make the tree more compact since it has a pruning effect.

Diseases Figure 3. Foliage No diseases are of major concern. Flower Flower color: red, yellow Flower characteristics: not showy

Fruit Fruit shape: irregular, oval, round, cone Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches Fruit covering: dry or hard Fruit color: brown Fruit characteristics: attracts squirrels/mammals; not showy; fruit/leaves a litter problem

Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: branches droop; not showy; typi- cally one trunk; thorns Pruning requirement: little required Breakage: resistant Current year twig color: gray Current year twig thickness: medium, thick Wood specific gravity: unknown

Pinus cembroides: Mexican Pinyon 2