11 Southwest Highways & Fields
Native Americans have eaten and traded the Pinon nuts for centuries, and I enjoy them in my morning coffee. The wood is used for fence posts and firewood, but not in the lumber industry. The Pinon trees depend on the Pinyon Jay, a blue-gray bird with a sharp beak and short tail. Pinyon Jays harvest the seeds and stash them in woodland locations where new trees can grow. The jays can carry up to 56 seeds at once. and cache them over a wide area up to seven miles away from the original tree. Our southwestern ecosystem relies on many different plant and animal species helping each other survive. Other birds spread Pinon seeds, but are not as effective as the Pinyon Jay. (Notice how the spelling of the bird's name uses the American form). Colorado Pinons can be seen easily in the four-corners states; some very nice looking trees can be seen at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado. (Some of the oldest Pinons can be seen there). Weather you like eating the nuts, or resting under the shade of one while hiking the foothills, The Colorado Pinon is a much loved tree in the southwest.
-Eamon Decker
New Mexico Pinon Coffee: http://www.nmpinoncoffee.com/
New Mexico Pinon Nuts: http://www.pinonnuts.com/
Southwest Plants: Colorado Pinon
Photo Credits: Snowpeak, Dcrjsr