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Texas Pinyon
Pinus remota, pine family. Uncommon in West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Pine nuts from the cones; needles for tea
- How
- Nuts raw or roasted; needles steeped
- When
- Fall for nuts
- Where
- West Texas hills and the Hill Country's western edge
- Value
- Fat, protein; vitamin C from needle tea
Caution: Pine nuts and needle tea from true pines are safe; simply be sure you have a pinyon and not an unrelated look-alike conifer. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Harvesting
Heat opens the cones; the small rich seeds fall out. A good pinyon year is worth the drive to West Texas.
Uses
The nuts are the classic pine nut of the Southwest. A handful of green needles steeped in hot water makes a piney, vitamin-C tea.
Photo: AlissJP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.