Rocky Mountain Juniper

Rocky Mountain Juniper is a small- to medium-sized coniferous tree native to North America, growing at an elevation of about 500-2700 meters (1600-8900 ft) on dry soils usually with other juniper species. It has a wide, irregular crown and twisted trunk.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Division	Pinophyta
Class	Pinopsida
Order	Pinales
Family	Cupressaceae
Genus	Juniperus
Scientific name	Juniperus scopulorum

Quick Information

Other Names	Mountain Red Cedar, Rocky Mountain Cedar, Cedar Tree, Juniper Bush, Savin, Evergreen, Cedar Apple
Similar to	Eastern Red Cedar
Size	Height ranging between 5 to 10 m (sometimes more) with trunk thickness up to 1 or 2 m and diameter up to 300 mm (rarely 600 mm)
Leaves	Arranged in opposite pairs at right angles, sometimes in whorls of three; scaly adult leaves, 1-2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad; needle-shaped young leaves on seedlings, 5-10 mm long
Cones	Seed Cones: Berry-like ball shaped and bilobed with a diameter ranging from 6-9 mm, dark blue, consists of two seeds (occasionally one or three); takes about 18 months to mature Pollen Cones: 2-4 mm long, dioecious, pollen are shed in early spring
Tree Type	Perennial, evergreen
Shape at Maturity	Pyramidal, columnar
Distribution/Range	Western North America, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada; east of Washington, North Dakota, western Texas, and south to Arizona  in the United States; from east of Sonora to Coahuila in northernmost Mexico
Hardiness Zones	4 to 8
Lifespan	250-300 years or more
Growth rate	Usually slow-growing
Growing Conditions	Water requirement: Low; can tolerate drought Light requirement: Direct sunlight as well as partial shade Cold exposure: Can tolerate cold; cannot adapt to high night temperature; cannot survive when exposed to temperature below -38°F Humidity: Not tolerant of high humidity Soil Requirement: Dry, sandy, rocky, clayey, slightly alkaline; high calcium-carbonate tolerance
Diseases/Pests	It is vulnerable to attack by a complex of insects, arachnids, and nematodes; it is attacked by blights, juniper berry mites, and red spider mites; it is an alternate host for cedar apple rust
Flowering/Fruiting	April, May
Seed Production	Seeds are occasionally borne at 10 years of age though the optimum time for production of seeds is 50-200 years
Seed-bearing Frequency	It bears seeds every year, but heavier production takes place every 2 to 5 years
Dispersal of Seeds	Ripen and fall off from the tree during the second spring, dispersed by different birds and small mammals
Wildlife Value	Provides nesting place, fruits, and dense cover for many wildlife species
Cultivars	Many cultivars have been used in horticulture – Skyrocket, Blue Arrow, Welch Juniper, Blue Haven, Blue Trail Cologreen, Winter Blue, Pathfinder, Gray Gleam, Springbark, Platinum, Green Ice, Moonglow, Greenspice, Wichita Blue, etc
Uses	Plateau Indian people made a drink from the inner barks and leaves for the treatment of coughs and fevers; the berries were used for their laxative and cold-relieving properties; the wood is used for making furniture, fence posts, interior paneling, fuel, and chests
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Interesting Facts

• In October 1804, the rocky mountain juniper was initially discovered by Lewis and Clark
• In the United States, it is popularly collected for bonsai.

References:

1. https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/rockymountainjuniper.htm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_scopulorum
3. https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/fire_regimes/Northern_RM_juniper/all.html
4. https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/junsco/all.html
5. https://plantsorig.sc.egov.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_jusc2.pdf