Single-Needle Pinyon Pine

Single-Needle Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla) is a quintessential Great Basin native, with a rugged, naturally sculptural appearance that works especially well in landscapes designed around Utah's dry climate. Its single needles give the tree a distinctive blue-green to gray-green texture, while its rounded, spreading form becomes more characterful as the tree matures. It is particularly well suited to rocky or well-drained sites and is even more drought tolerant than its close relative, the Two-Needle Pinyon Pine.

This is a plant for the patient gardener: singleleaf pinyon grows slowly, but that also makes it a relatively low-maintenance long-term landscape tree once established. Its pine nuts are edible, and the tree provides useful habitat and food for wildlife. For a Utah-native landscape, it offers year-round structure without requiring the regular irrigation that many ornamental evergreens need.