| General Description | They are on the smaller side of evergreen trees only growing 8-12 m with a rough reddish bark. They usually have a crooked trunk with green/blue needles. |
| Shape | Upright, oval shape, wide-spread tree with cracked bark that is red in colour. A crooked trunk as it matures usually ends up making the tree lean in one direction. |
| Landscape | It does make a very fine specimen tree due to its slow growth and its beautiful red bark. |
| Propagation | To obtain seeds: dry out the cones after harvesting them in the late summer/autumn. However, since the tree is such a slow growing tree it may take up to 20 years before the tree produces any cones. The seeds can be easily shaken out of the cones. Once seeds are obtained you can start the germination process. The ideal temperature for germination is between 15 to 20°C (anything lower than 10°C, the seed will go into a dormant stage and will not grow). A temperature higher than 25°C will stunt the growth of the plant produce a weak sapling. The best type of media for planting is sandy soil with peat moss or some kind of organic material. Pinus edulis suffers from a phosphorus deficiency if it is not growing in the presence of mycorrhiza fungus, so it is best to plant in soils with mycorrhiza fungus already cultivated in it. |
| Cultivation | Prefers dry soil conditions but can handle moist soils as well. Requires full sun and does not handle shade well. ph levels between 5 and 7 are but should establish mycorrhiza fungus to maintain full plant health. |
| Pests | The Pinyon ips beetle feeds on the sap of the tree and since the tree has such low water levels the tree cannot regenerate its sap and sapwood so it slowly begins to die. The Ips beetle also releases a chemical that is very toxic to the tree and will increase the rate at which the tree dies. Watering during drought periods also helps remediate infestations. |
| Habitat | It does extremely well in sandy soils so Arizona and New Mexico which is its ideal habitat however it does well in the rocky parts of the southern states because of its long tap root and its ability to withstand drought. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Rigid thin bark that is reddish-brown colour. Trunk of the tree is usually crooked with branches growing close to the base of the trunk. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | |
| Leaf Description | Needles are approximately 3-5 cm in length, twisted, and are a greenish-blue colour, with 2-3 needles per fascicle are in groups of 2-3. |
| Flower Description | The male cones occur in clusters of 20-30 on the end of the branches, colour of the male cones is a darkish red to purple. The female cones bloom yellowish but later turn a brownish-purple. Both male and female buds appear scaly in texture. |
| Fruit Description | The mature female cones are dark brown in colour. |