Colorado Pinyon Pine, Pinus cembroides edulis, Tree Seeds (Hardy, Evergreen)

This is a "Multiple Variation" style listing.  Use the "Seed Qty" drop-down menu, above, to select quantity/weight .

Choose from:

10 Seeds for $2.00

30 Seeds for $4.00

60 Seeds for $7.00

120 Seeds for $13.00

240 Seeds for $24.00

Colorado Pinyon Pine, Pinus cembroides  edulis, Tree Seeds

Hardy, Easy to Grow, Edible Seeds, Bonsai, Christmas Tree, Evergreen, Long Lived, Timber, Fragrant, Wildlife Food/Shelter, Screen/Windbreak, Cold, Heat, Drought and Wind Tolerant

Colorado Pinyon Pine  is  a small, drought hardy, slow growing, evergreen conifer.  Native to the Southwestern United States, the Colorado Pinyon Pine  grows in woodlands, plateaus, mesas, and lower mountain slopes at elevations of 4,000 to 9,000 feet. It is adapted to a wide range of soils, moisture conditions and temperature. Pinyon Pines are a most lovely, soft, dark green.  Throughout their adult life Pinyon Pines have a rounded symmetrical shape.  After many decades most Pinyon Pines lose their lower branches, growing 30 to 45 feet tall with a handsome 30 foot crown spread.  Pinyon Pines live long lives, perhaps 800 years.

Pinyon Pine   is traditionally sold as Christmas trees in the Southwest because of its aromatic fragrance. The branches are often twisted into aromatic wreaths and other ornaments. Its heavy, yellow wood is valuable for firewood and fence posts. Many people plant Pinyon Pine  around the perimeter of their land in single or multi-rows to act as a windbreak.

Pinyon Pine  seeds are roasted, salted, and eaten as a snack. They contain riboflavin, niacin, and protein. Because of their delicate flavor, the seeds are in high demand. The seed crop of Pinyon Pine  is valuable and is used in making candies, cakes, and cookies. The seeds were a staple food in American Indian diets and were eaten raw, roasted, or ground into flour. Seed crops are erratic, depending on moisture and Indian migrations were determined by location of seed crops. Needles were steeped for tea. The inner bark served as starvation food for American Indians. Today incense is made from crushed cones. Indians still use the pitch as a caulking compound for water tight baskets and as glue for turquoise jewelry. The annual harvest of Pinyon nuts exceeds 1million pounds. This crop is second in commercial value only to pecans among the uncultivated nuts of the United States. The seeds are also an important wildlife food for several songbirds, quails, squirrels, chipmunks, black bears, and mule deer.

Pinyon Pine seeds take about twenty-six months to mature: cone buds are formed in the first summer; a small cone forms, opens, is pollinated, and closes in the second summer; this cone reopens in the third summer allowing the pollen inside to fertilize the eggs.  Growth is then rapid and by the end of the third summer the green, sappy, two inch seed cone matures, dries to light brown, and opens.   Light colored seed husks are almost always empty; good seed husks are usually dark brown.  Before the twenty-six month growing cycle begins again, it is common for several years to pass. Thus seed production is on about a four to six year cycle, a bit more frequent than the often stated seven year cycle. 

Leaf:  Evergreen needles, 1 to 2 inches long, usually two per fascicle, coarse, stiff, thick, curved, blue-green or yellow-green. Flower: Monoecious; males red, cylindrical, in clusters near ends of branches; females purplish at branch tips. Fruit: Cones are oval to globular shape, 2 inches long, short stalked, brown in color, with very thick cone scales; each scale contains two very large, edible "pine nuts"; maturing in the fall. Twig: Stout and orange-brown, somewhat scraggly. Bark: Bark light gray and smooth in younger trees, becoming darker gray or slightly reddish-brown and furrowed into scaly plates in older individuals.

Form:  A small, spreading almost bushy tree with an irregular, rounded crown up to 45 feet tall.

Other Names:  Pinus  edulis, Pinus cembroides  var. edulis  (Engelm .),  Pinyon, Colorado Pinyon, Two Leaf Pinyon, Nut Pine, Piñon , Two Leaved Pinus,  Mexican Stone Pine

Zone:  5 to 7

Growth Rate:  Slow

Plant Type:  Needled evergreen conifer

Family:  Pinaceae

Native Range:  Southwestern United States Height:  30 to 45 feet Spread:  20 to 30 feet Shape:  Rounded, Bushy Flower/Fruit:  Oval to Rounded cones with thick scales to 2 inches long.

Sun:  Full sun

Fall Color:  Evergreen

Drought Tolerance:  High

Water:   Dry to Moderate Maintenance:  Low

Site Requirements/  Soil Tolerances : Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Plant tolerates a number of adverse conditions including poor soils, drought and strong winds.

Uses:  Bonsai. Attractive specimen tree, Good choice for difficult sites, Effective in mass, screen or shade tree. For edible seeds.

Sowing Pinus edulis Seeds:

For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.

Scarify:  Soak in water 24 Hours

Stratify:  Cold 30 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium (Not wet).

Germination:  Sow 1/2” Deep, Keep moist, (Not wet).

For more information about seed pretreatment and growing trees and shrubs from seed, please download this .pdf :

https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/documents/1449/fcpg018.pdf  

Germination:

1. Seeds Packets are labeled with seed name and sowing details.
2. Seeds have not been pretreated unless specified in the listing.
3. Seed is not a specific Cultivar (Variety) unless specified in the listing.
4. Due to the many factors involved in successful germination, Seller cannot be responsible for buyers growing methods or mistakes.
5. I have provided what I believe to be a good overview on this page (which you are free to print for further reference), however, it is still recommended to check specialist literature for more details and practices specific to your climate and soil conditions to avoid mistakes in the germination and growing process.

Shipping and Discounts:

All items are set up to automatically discount as follows:

1.        Any promotional offers are discounted by using the "Add to Cart "only.

2.        To qualify for any discounts, items must be paid together, on the same eBay invoice.

3.        If paid separately, no discounts will be applied though seller reserves the right to ship together.

4.        If there are any questions or concerns about the amount due, please message me before paying so I can address all of your concerns before there is a problem. 

5.        Buyer assumes responsibility once payment has been made.

International Buyer’s:

It is the buyer’s responsibility to know their countries customs laws.

1. Plant and plant materials including seeds may be restricted from importing to your country. Please check with your customs agency and or post office before purchasing. Upon purchasing this item Buyer accepts the risk of item being confiscated and/or destroyed  by customs and Seller will not be held liable for this.
2. If you are on my exclusion list it is because: “Plant and  plant materials including seeds” are restricted from importing to your country, it is enforced by your country and there is a high rate of customs checking for this.
3. Import duties, taxes, and customs charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to buying.
4. Tracking is not available for International items.  International mail varies from 10 to 30 business days (postal working days) and some countries require certain International items to be picked up at your post office. Upon processing your order, you will be sent a customs number, your shipping date and your shipping address, which you will need in order to retrieve it from your post office if you are required to do so. If these are not picked up in a reasonable time they may be returned or discarded.
5. All mail items are subject to inspection by customs when crossing into another country. If stopped for inspection this will cause serious delays in receiving your item(s). You may or may not be notified of this. This may require you to pick up your package from your post office.