Seen growing along the side of the road between Concho & Showlow, Arizona. Apache County, Highway 61, June 30th, mid Summer, zone 6b, ele...Read Morevation 6300 ft.
Also known as Sabina, this evergreen shrub or small tree can grow up to 25 ft high with a trunk up to 1.5 ft wide. It's main identifying characteristic from other junipers is that it has many limbs arising from ground level that are somewhat hidden by the lower branches, and also the seeds are smaller than the Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma).
The highly aromatic wood is often used in making fenceposts and for fuel. The gray bark is shreddy and fibrous.
The coppery colored cones or "berries" are red at maturity after one year and are covered with a bluish waxy substance. They usually only have one seed inside the cone and are 1/4 inch in diameter. The cones are eaten by wildlife and the Native Americans had many uses for them.
The scaled, yellow-green leaves are about 1/16 inch long.
The male and female flowers grow on separtae tree, pollen on the male trees and cones or "berries" on the female trees.
It occurs in nature on foothills, plains, plateaus & pinyon-juniper woodlands at an elevation range of 3000 to 7000 ft.
This species is indigenous to AZ, CO, NM, OK, TX & UT in the USA.
Seen growing along the side of the road between Concho & Showlow, Arizona. Apache County, Highway 61, June 30th, mid Summer, zone 6b, ele...Read More