Singleleaf Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla)

The Singleleaf Pinyon Pine is one of the pine varieties of trees that belong to the pinyon pine family. This tree variety hails from the northwestern part of Mexico and the United States. This tree variety occurs at reasonable altitudes, ranging from 1,200 meters to 2,300 meters. It is extensive and habitually abundant in this area, forming widespread open woods, habitually combined with junipers in the Pinyon-juniper forest plant society. The Singleleaf Pinyon tree is the only single-needled pine tree in the world. Occasional doubled-needled pine trees in the northern part of Baja California are hybrid varieties between the Parry Pinyon tree and the Single-leaf Pinyon tree.

Features

The Singleleaf Pinyon Pine tree is a small to average size tree, attaining a height between 10 meters and 20 meters, with a maximum trunk diameter of 80 centimeters. The bark of the tree is unevenly furrowed and scaly.

The leaves of the tree are unique, usually single, and chubby, with the length, ranging from 4 centimeters to 6 centimeters. These leaves vary in color from grey-green to sturdily glaucous blue-green, with stomata above the entire needle surface.

The cones of the tree are sharp-globose, the biggest of the pinyon family, with the length, ranging from 4.5 cm to 8 cm. They are wide when closed, green in color at the beginning, ripening yellow-buff after 20 months, with only a few extremely thick scales, usually 8 to 20 lush scales.

The empty nuts of the Singleleaf Pinyon Pine tree with immature seeds are a light brown in color, whereas the matured ones are dark brown in color.

Uses

The Singleleaf Pinyon Pine tree is cultivated as a decorative tree for a native plant, and it is a drought tolerant tree. It is also cultivated in wildlife gardens, and for natural scenery. The tree is employed regionally as a Christmas tree. The nuts of the Singleleaf Pinyon Pine tree are safe to eat.

The average lifespan of the Singleleaf Pinyon Pine tree ranges from 12 years to 15 years.