Pinus edulis

Colorado pinyon, Colorado Pinyon

Family: Pinaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 3.3

Colorado pinyon is a native shrub found in the New York Mountains in pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,300 to 2,700 meters. Although not rare in this range, it develops a distinctive rounded crown with shallow-furrowed red-brown bark. Growing with trunks less than 15 meters tall and typically less than 1.1 meters wide, this tree produces paired dark green needles 2 to 6 centimeters long. Its characteristic seed cones are small and spreading, measuring 3 to 5 centimeters long, with yellow-brown coloration and truncate scale tips. The tree's compact form and dense needles make it well-adapted to its arid mountain woodland habitat.

Habitat: Pinyon/juniper woodland

Elevation: 1300-2700 m

Bioregions: DMtns (New York Mtns)

California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.