Pinus monophylla
singleleaf pinyon
Great Basin and southwestern United States
Overview
Pinus monophylla, the singleleaf pinyon, is a small evergreen conifer in the Pinaceae, usually 10-35 feet (3-10.5 m) tall and 10-25 feet (3-7.5 m) wide, with a short trunk and a dense, rounded to irregular crown. It is the only pine that bears a single stiff needle at each point along the shoot rather than a bundle of two or more; the grey-green to blue-green needles are 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long, sharp-tipped, and coated with a waxy bloom. The reddish-brown bark becomes furrowed with age. Rounded woody seed cones 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) long ripen over two seasons and open to release large, wingless, edible seeds known as pine nuts, which were a staple food for Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. The tree is very slow-growing and long-lived, and may take several decades to bear cones. It grows on dry, rocky mountain slopes and high desert in pinyon-juniper woodland, withstanding heat, drought, and cold but failing in wet or poorly drained soil.
Native Range
Native to the Great Basin and southwestern United States and the far north of Mexico, across Nevada, Utah, eastern California, Arizona, and into Idaho and Baja California. It grows on dry, rocky mountain slopes and high desert, forming pinyon-juniper woodland between about 4,000 and 8,000 feet (1,200-2,400 m).Suggested Uses
Used as a slow-growing specimen, screen, or windbreak tree in dry, rocky, and xeric gardens, and as a container or bonsai subject when young, spaced 10-20 feet (3-6 m) apart. It suits high-desert and low-water plantings and rocky slopes. The slow growth and need for sharp drainage make it poorly suited to wet soils or fast-cover plantings.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10' - 35'
Width/Spread10' - 25'
Reaches mature size in approximately 50 years
Bloom Information
Like all pines it is wind-pollinated and bears cones rather than flowers. Yellow pollen cones shed pollen in late spring, mainly May, while the small seed cones take two years to mature. Ripe cones open in late summer and autumn to drop their large seeds.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
grey-green to blue-green needlesGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun in dry, rocky, fast-draining soil over a pH range of about 6.5-8.0, including shallow and alkaline ground. Water needs are very low; established trees rely on natural rainfall and decline in irrigated or poorly drained soil. It withstands heat, cold, wind, and prolonged drought but grows extremely slowly, often only a few inches a year. Young plants establish more readily from containers, since the taproot is sensitive to disturbance. Hardy in USDA zones 5-8.Pruning
Needs little pruning. Dead or damaged branches are removed in summer when sap flow is low and beetle pressure is lower. Like most pines it does not resprout from old wood, so cuts are kept to live, needled growth. Lower branches can be removed to expose the trunk.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 5 gallons