This common large pine tree of the West, ponderosa forests provide habitat for many species of wildlife that take shelter in its branches and feed upon its seeds. Even old dead snags provide important roosts for birds of prey, as well as insect forage for woodpeckers. Have you ever smelled a Ponderosa Pine close up? Try it and you will find that they smell just like vanilla.

Piñon Pine

Combining with one-seed junipers to form the woodlands covering much of the mesa and foothill country of the Southwest, piñon or nut pine has long been an important food source for Indians as well as for birds and small mammals. The edible seeds are highly nutritious. The Apache Indians used the pitch for making baskets into leakproof containers.

One-Seed Juniper

Often mistakenly called cedar, the hardy drought-resistant juniper, along with piñon pine, is one of the two common tress of the pygmy forests that cover mesas and foothills of the Southwest. Birds eat the berry-like fruits and Indians used the foliage for medicine and rituals, the bark for fabrics, and the wood for tools and fuel.

Rocky Mountain Juniper

Gray-green with drooping branches, this graceful tree prefers rocky soils. Its round, bluish "berries" are actually cones and are a traditional American Indian food source. Navajos traditionally make a tea from the needles to treat pain, stomach troubles, and spider bites. This tree is also known as western "red cedar", with its aromatic wood being well suited for "cedar chests."

Broad-Leaved Yucca

There are several species of yucca in the Southwest, with spikes of white flowers in the spring. Yuccas were useful to the Indians. They made sandals, baskets, rope, string, and cloth, from the leaf fiber; ate the fruit, buds, flowers, and flower stalks; and even used the roots for soap.

We offer mountain land for sale by owner in the Zuni Mountains of New Mexico.