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Pinus cembroides (Mexican pinyon)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Pinus cembroides Zucc.

Mexican pinyon, Mexican pinyon pine

Pinaceae (Pine Family)

USDA Symbol: PICE

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Mexican pinyon is a small, bushy evergreen, 15-30 ft. tall, with a compact, rounded crown and rich, blue-green needles occurring in bundles of three. Small, resinous tree with short trunk and spreading crown of low, horizontal branches and thick-walled, edible seeds; often shrubby.

The hard seeds are the main commercial pinyon nuts (pinones) of Mexico. However, in the United States this species has limited distribution and usually bears light cone crops; other species with thin-walled seeds are more common. Rodents, especially packrats, eat the seeds.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf: Dark Green
Fruit:
Size Class: 36-72 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: NM , TX
Native Distribution: C. & w. TX to s.e. AZ & n. Mex.
Native Habitat: Pinyon-juniper woodlands or mesas and mountain slopes; 5000 to 7500 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Dry, rocky soils. Caliche type, Limestone-based Sandy Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Seeds are oily and edible.

Propagation

Description: Sow fresh, untreated seed in late fall. Seedlings are quite susceptible to damping-off.
Seed Collection: Collect cones from vigorous trees in late summer and fall just before they completely open to drop seeds. Spread cones on racks to dry so they will release seeds. Cones may be shaken to release seeds. Store at a moisture content of 5-10 % fresh weight.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Prevent complete soil dryness, Prune to maintain shape, Remove dead growth, Fertilize 3 times a year with lawn fertilizer 3:1:2 ratio

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 766 - Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide (2002) Groom, D.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Pinus cembroides in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Pinus cembroides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Pinus cembroides

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-04-18
Research By: TWC Staff

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