Practical
Plants

Pinus edulis

Rocky Mountain Piñon

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Pinus genus in the family Pinaceae.

Immature piñon pine cones among the needles
Pinus edulis cones.jpg by Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service ·Public domain · Resized for the web

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Pinaceae
Genus
Pinus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
15 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

The wood, sawdust and resins from various species of pine can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[16].

Edible uses

Seed - raw or cooked[25][7]. A slightly resinous flavour, but delicious raw or cooked[2, K]. The seed can be ground into a meal and used in stews, making bread, cakes etc and in making nut butter[10]. The seed is up to 25mm long[5]. Rich in oil, protein[10] and thiamine[5]. The seed contains about 15% protein[14]. An important item of food for the local Indians, it is also sold in local markets of Colorado and New Mexico[21][25]. About 450,000 kilos of the seeds are sold in American markets each year[18]. The leaves can be brewed into a tea[10][19]. Immature female cones - roasted. The soft centre forms a sweet syrupy food[10]. Inner bark - cooked. A sweet flavour, it is cut into strips and cooked like spaghetti[10]. Inner bark can also be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in soups or can be mixed with cereal flours when making bread etc[19]. The pitch from the trunk can be hardened and used as a chewing gum[19]. A vanillin flavouring is obtained as a by-product of other resins that are released from the pulpwood[12].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Gum
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Seedpod

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The turpentine obtained from the resin of all pine trees is antiseptic, diuretic, rubefacient and vermifuge[20]. It is a valuable remedy in the treatment of kidney, bladder and rheumatic affections, and also in diseases of the mucous membranes and the treatment of respiratory complaints[20]. Externally it is used in the form of liniment plasters and poultices on cuts, boils, burns and various skin problems[20][19]. The heated pitch has been applied to the face to remove facial hair[19]. The gum is used as a plaster on cuts and sores[15]. An infusion of the leaves has been used as an emetic to cleanse the stomach[19]. The leaves have been chewed in the treatment of venereal diseases[19]. The leaves have been burnt and the smoke inhaled as a treatment for colds[19]. The inner bark is expectorant[19].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Depurative
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Plaster
Product or use
Rubefacient
Product or use
VD
Product or use
Vermifuge

Material uses

A tan or green dye is obtained from the needles[6]. The needles contain a substance called terpene, this is released when rain washes over the needles and it has a negative effect on the germination of some plants, including wheat[13]. This species yields a resin, but it is not commercially important. Oleo-resins are present in the tissues of all species of pines, but these are often not present in sufficient quantity to make their extraction economically worthwhile[22]. The resins are obtained by tapping the trunk, or by destructive distillation of the wood[20][22]. In general, trees from warmer areas of distribution give the higher yields[22]. Turpentine consists of an average of 20% of the oleo-resin[22] and is separated by distillation[20][22]. Turpentine has a wide range of uses including as a solvent for waxes etc, for making varnish, medicinal etc[20]. Rosin is the substance left after turpentine is removed. This is used by violinists on their bows and also in making sealing wax, varnish etc[20]. Pitch can also be obtained from the resin and is used for waterproofing, as a wood preservative etc. The gum (this almost certainly means the resin[K]) is used in waterproofing baskets, canoes etc, for repairing pottery vessels and in making turquoise mosaic[15][19]. It has also been used as a red paint on jars and bowls[19]. For waterproofing containers, the gum was melted and poured inside the container. The container was then turned round to ensure the gum came into contact with all parts of the inside. More gum would then be applied to the outside[19]. The resin has been used as a glue for fixing turquoise in jewellery[19]. The gum has been used, with sumac leaves (Rhus spp) and yellow ochre to make a black dye and ink[19]. The sumac leaves are boiled until there is a strong mixture. Whilst the sumac was boiling, the ochre was powdered and roasted. The gum was then added to the ochre and the whole roasted again. As the roasting proceeded, the gum melted and finally the mixture was reduced to a black powder. This was then cooled and thrown into the sumac mixture, forming a rich blue-black fluid that was essentially an ink[19]. Wood - light, soft, not strong, brittle. Used for fuel, fencing etc[21][25]. A charcoal made from the wood is used in smelting[25]. The wood makes a good fuel, burning with few sparks being thrown out[19].

Product or use
Adhesive
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Fuel
Product or use
Herbicide
Product or use
Ink
Product or use
Paint
Product or use
Resin
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - Rocky mountains.
Habitat
Eastern foothills of the outer reaches of the Rockies on arid mesas in pure stands or with junipers[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

It is best to sow the seed in individual pots in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise in late winter. A short stratification of 6 weeks at 4°c can improve the germination of stored seed[23]. Plant seedlings out into their permanent positions as soon as possible and protect them for their first winter or two[2]. Plants have a very sparse root system and the sooner they are planted into their permanent positions the better they will grow[K]. Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm[12]. We actually plant them out when they are about 5 - 10cm tall. So long as they are given a very good weed-excluding mulch they establish very well[K]. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[12]. Cuttings. This method only works when taken from very young trees less than 10 years old. Use single leaf fascicles with the base of the short shoot. Disbudding the shoots some weeks before taking the cuttings can help. Cuttings are normally slow to grow away[24].

Cultivation

Thrives in a light well-drained sandy or gravelly loam[1][2]. Dislikes poorly drained moorland soils[1]. Established plants tolerate drought[12]. Succeeds in a hot dry position[12]. Prefers an acid soil in full sun[5]. A very hardy species, tolerating temperatures down to about -35°c when it is fully dormant[5]. A slow-growing but long-lived tree in the wild[11][18], it takes about 25 years from seed before it produces seed[3]. It then produces good crops every 3 - 4 years[18]. The cones open and shed their seed whilst still attached to the tree[17]. Trees take about 250 - 350 years to reach full maturity[9]. This species is considered by some botanists to be no more than a form of P. cembroides, its main difference from that species is that it has leaves in bundles of two whereas P. cembroides usually has bundles of three[12]. Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[12]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[12]. Leaf secretions inhibit the germination of seeds, thereby reducing the amount of plants that can grow below the tree[8]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[12].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0802707699

    ↩

  4. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981. Royal Horticultural Society 1980-00-00

    ↩

  5. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  7. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  8. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  9. Pesman. M. W. Meet Flora Mexicana. Dale S. King. Arizona. 1962-00-00

    ↩

  10. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  11. Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-11-710012-9

    ↩

  12. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  13. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩

  14. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩

  15. Whiting. A. F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi North Arizona Society of Science and Art 1939-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  16. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩

  17. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩

  18. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3

  19. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11↩12↩13↩14↩15↩16

  20. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  21. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  22. Howes. F. N. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Faber

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  23. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩

  24. Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X

    ↩

  25. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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