Pinyon pines, also known as pinion or piñon, are a group of small evergreens native to the dry, upland plains and foothills of the American Southwest, the intermountain regions of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and northern Mexico.

Pinyons are an important food source for birds such as Clark's nutcracker and various jays, small mammals and — less frequently — mule deer. The nuts, a traditional food source for Native Americans, are now marketed widely and enjoyed in everything from baked sweets to pasta dishes. Pinyon wood, rich with resin, is extremely fragrant when burned and highly valued for firewood.

There are several species, including single-leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla) and Mexican pinyon (Pinus cembroides). The most commercially available species, sometimes called two-needle pinyon or Colorado pinyon (Pinus cembroides edulis) is the focus of this ideabook.