Rocky Mountain Juniper

Scientific name

Juniperus scopulorum

Description

The Rocky Mountain Juniper is a slow growing coniferous tree species that typically grows from 10-15 m tall. This species may also be known by the common names: Upright Juniper, Skyrocket Juniper, or Colorado/Western Red Cedar. The leaves are 1-2 mm long scales and are either light green or blueish gray coloured. The bark is reddish brown in colour and appears shedding. It flowers from April to May, developing cones that are oval shaped, 2-4 mm long, and appear at the tips of branches. These produce small, fleshy, light blue coloured berries with seeds. Rocky Mountain Juniper is a long-lived species that can survive 250-300 years. This plant is effective at controlling erosion and stabilizing steep shorelines.

Planting conditions

Rocky Mountain Juniper grows best in normal to moist conditions with full sun exposure. This tree can tolerate a range of soil types and pH levels. It is intolerant of flooding or severe drought but does grow well on dry and rocky soils. It is tolerant of steep slopes. This tree can be naturally found in open sunny forests, forest edges, in drier mountains, or dry shoreline slopes.

Details

• Plant height:
  • Any
  • Over 3m
• Moisture level:
  • Dry
  • Normal
  • Moist
• Light conditions:
  • Full sun
• Soil type:
  • Sandy
  • Loamy
  • Clay
  • Rocky
• pH:
  • Acidic
  • Basic
  • Normal
• Depth:
  • Potted
• Eco Zone:
  • 3a
  • 3b
  • 4a
  • 4b
  • 5a
  • 5b
• Plant type:
  • Tree
• Height:
  • 10-15 m
• Spread:
  • 5 m