Piñon, << PIHN yuhn or PEEN yohn, >> also spelled pinyon, is the name of several species of small pines native to the Southwestern United States and Mexico. Piñons sometimes grow as sprawling shrubs, but they more often occur as small trees that measure 15 to 30 feet (5 to 9 meters) tall. Dry, open woodlands of piñons and junipers cover large areas of land that is too dry to support forests but not dry enough to be a true desert.
Piñons have short needles that grow singly or in clusters of two, three, or more. Piñon wood can be used to make fence posts or railroad ties, or be burned as fuel. Piñon cones contain seeds, called pine nuts, that have a delicate nutty flavor. Pine nuts form an important part of Indigenous (native) people of the Southwest.
