View photos of the edible and medicinal plant Pinus edulis (Two-needle pinyon pine), profiled in Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States and the Wild Edible Series: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

A passage from Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States:

Pine needles: actually modified leaves, green Pine needles contain sizable amounts of aromatics and chlorophyll, and smaller amounts of ascorbate. Use them as another base material for essential oil distillation or a tea of the needles for medicinal/nutritional applications.

A passage from Wild Edible Plants of Arizona:

Pinyon pines’ seeds (or ‘nuts’) are larger than other Pine species, which makes them a worthwhile wild food.

A passage from Wild Edible Plants of Colorado:

Once expanded by the heat, let them cool a little and remove the seeds. Tear away the thin shell (it should be pliable at this point) and eat the fresh inner seed.

A passage from Wild Edible Plants of New Mexico:

Pinus edulis is the main Pinyon species of the Southwest (and New Mexico’s state tree). Common throughout the state (except for the lower desert and plains), look for this small–stocky Pine tree from 5000’–7000’ (though it occasionally grows as high as 9000’).

A passage from Wild Edible Plants of Utah:

The seeds are very nutritious, fine–tasting, and need no preparation, aside from shelling. They are the wild American version of European pine nuts found in commerce.

View photos of the edible and medicinal plant Pinus cembroides (Mexican pinyon pine), profiled in Wild Edible Plants of Arizona.

A passage from Wild Edible Plants of Arizona:

Pinyon pine seeds are very nutritious, fine–tasting, and need no preparation, aside from shelling. They are the wild American version of European pine nuts found in commerce.