Native to the higher regions of the south west of the USA (from California to Texas and Mexico), Pinus edulis is the producer of the commercial pine nut of the USA. It is slow growing, eventually reaching a height of 4 - 8 m, although may grow taller. Usually irregular in shape, it is flat or rounded, with horizontal branches. It is drought tolerant and cold hardy, but also thrives in the heat of the deserts.
The cones are rounded, light brown in colour and about 5 cm in length. The nuts are small and tasty and are collected as a delicacy by the native Americans. The seeds are oily and eaten raw or roasted. They are used in breads, biscuits, nut butters, ice cream, sauces, stuffings, and confectionery. They are ground into a meal and used in puddings, soups and gruels. They can be mixed with cornmeal or sunflower seed meal. The needles are brewed into a tea and the unripe cones are roasted to produce a syrupy food. The sweet cambium is cut into thin strips and cooked like spaghetti.
Nutritional composition of the pinon per 100 grams of edible portion is: Water - 3.1%, Energy - 635 calories, Carbohydrate - 20.5 g, Fat - 60.5 g, Protein - 13.0 g, Ash - 2.9 g, Calcium - 12 mg, Iron - 5.2 mg, Phosphorous - 604 mg, Vitamin A - 30 I.U., Thiamin - 1.28 mg, Riboflavin - 0.23 mg, Niacin - 4.5 mg, Ascorbic acid - trace.