Juniperus scopulorum

Juniperus scopulorum is a small evergreen tree that in favorable conditions may reach as much as in height. Younger trees have a narrow pyramidal shape, but develop into a rounded, oval, or spreading and irregular crown when older. They may either have a single trunk or multiple stems. When the subsoil is difficult to penetrate and lacks moisture the roots of Juniperus scopulorum spread out. They are numerous and fibrous in the upper part of the soil. When soils are deep and well drained they will grow to a greater depth. The berries most often contain two seeds, but may contain one or three; they are mature in about 18 months. The pollen cones are long, and shed their pollen in early spring, generally in April. Chemistry Rocky Mountain juniper is an aromatic plant. Essential oil extracted from the trunk is prominent in cis-thujopsene, α-pinene, cedrol, allo-aromadendrene epoxide, (E)-caryophyllene, and widdrol. Limb essential oil is primarily α-pinene and leaf essential oil is primarily sabinene. Experiments with deer have found that oxygenated monoterpenes, like sabinene, inhibit the gut bacteria of ruminants and deer show the expected preference for foliage lower in these chemicals. Similar species Juniperus scopulorum is closely related to eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), and often hybridizes with it where their ranges meet on the Great Plains. The population of juniper trees in Mexico near the former site of Colonia Pacheco, Chihuahua is a hybrid with Juniperus blancoi. There is some disagreement whether hybrids are formed with the oneseed juniper in the wild. == Taxonomy ==

Juniperus scopulorum was first described and named as a separate species by Charles Sprague Sargent in 1897. Previously trees had been identified as one of its two close relatives, Juniperus virginiana or Juniperus occidentalis. Parts of the species were described as Juniperus virginiana var. montana by George Vasey in 1876 and as Juniperus occidentalis var. pleiosperma by George Engelmann in 1877. Its proper classification has continued to be debated by botanists with Per Axel Rydberg proposing to move it to his new genus as Sabina scopulorum in 1900 and Albert Edward Murray publishing a paper in 1983 that reclassified it as a subspecies under the name Juniperus virginiana subsp. scopulorum. However, as of 2024 it is listed as a synonym by both Plants of the World Online (POWO) and World Flora Online (WFO). Names The genus name Juniperus is classical Latin, rather than botanical Latin, and was the name used in antiquity for this type of tree. The species name (specific epithet), scopulorum, derives from Latin with the meaning "of rocky cliffs", a reference to its frequent occurrence in rocky areas. The most common of its English names, "Rocky Mountain juniper", was at first applied to Juniperus occidentalis in 1841. Because J. scopulorum was at first largely considered the same at the Eastern red cedar, no unique common name was required for it and when it was recognized as a species it was most often called "Rocky Mountain red cedar", a common name now applied to Thuja plicata. "mountain red cedar", "weeping juniper", and "Rocky Mountain redcedar". ==Distribution and habitat==

Rocky Mountain junipers are found across a wider range than any other new world juniper species, though it is almost nowhere a common species. More often they are scattered widely across the landscape in isolated groups, grove, or stands. It is also a minor part of forests above this such as ponderosa pine forests (Pinus ponderosa) and areas dominated by Gamble oak (Quercus gambelii). More often they are found on poor, dry soils especially ones formed from basalt, limestone, sandstone, lavas, and shale. They are also tolerant of soils with a significant amount of clay or that have a subsoil that is naturally cemented together like hardpan. Though obtaining a greater size in more sheltered locations they will successfully grow on rock outcrops with no soil and on high ridges. ==Ecology and conservation==

At lower elevations, in the absence of fire, Juniperus scopulorum may be considered a climax species, one that comes late in the succession of plant species, and perhaps more adapted to stable environments. Rocky Mountain juniper is a relatively slow growing species with an average age (at one site) of eight years for saplings 30 centimeters in height. , Montana showing distinct browse-line The foliage of Juniperus scopulorum is heavily browsed by mule deer, particularly in the winter. Studies of their winter foraging habits show that together with big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and bitterbrush (Purshia spp.) it may make up two-thirds of their diet in winter. The parasitic plant juniper mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum) will use Rocky Mountain juniper as a host, along with other juniper species. Though harmful to the trees it is not as dangerous as the dwarf mistletoes which attack other conifer species. Once infected with juniper mistletoe it is very difficult or impossible to remove the parasite from the host. The mistletoe berries provide food for fruit eating birds in the winter. In Montana a study of pine-juniper woodlands with Rocky Mountain junipers found that mourning doves will make use of them as a nesting site, though they prefer limber pines. A different study of piñon-juniper woodlands found that mourning doves prefer junipers as nesting locations. Another bird which makes use of them as a nesting location is the chipping sparrow. On the northern plains Rocky Mountain juniper stands support a wide variety of bird species, directly or indirectly. The American robin is one of the most frequently observed species in stands. Other birds observed year round in the groves include black-capped chickadees, black-billed magpies, and long-eared owls. The appropriately named juniper titmouse also makes use of J. sopulorum groves when available, though it does not favor one species of juniper in particular. Many songbirds enthusiastically eat the soft, slightly sweet cones including American robins, solitaires, and waxwings. The Bohemian waxwing is especially noted for consuming large amounts of the berries. In a controlled experiment by Dr. Edgar Alexander Mearns a caged bird consumed 900 of them in five hours. Larger animals also consume the cones including black bears, bighorn sheep, and mule deer. Similarly NatureServe reviewed its status in 2016 and rated it globally secure (G5). They found populations of the species to be imperiled (S2) in Saskatchewan and Oklahoma. They also gave the populations in Alberta and Oregon the status of vulnerable (S3). ==Notable trees==

One particular individual, the Jardine Juniper in Utah, is thought to be over 1,500 years old, though some erroneous estimates of its age previously attributed 3,000 years to it. A dead trunk found in New Mexico was found to have 1,888 rings; other trees in the same area are suspected to exceed 2,000 years. The more typical longevity of individual trees is from 250 to 300 years of age. The largest tree of this species is one in Logan Canyon, Cache National Forest, Utah. It was last reliably measured in 2014 as tall with it limbs spreading over . However, this tree is, as of 2016, reported to no longer be in good health. == Uses ==

The primary uses of Rocky Mountain juniper are as an ornamental tree in landscaping. It is also used for firewood, as a herb, and for its rot resistant wood. There are over 100 named cultivars of the species in the plant trade. 'Blue heaven' is another of the many fastigiate type cultivars. Like most varieties derived from Rocky Mountain juniper it is intolerant of hot, humid weather and constantly wet conditions and will usually succumb to root rots in muggy climates. 'Skyrocket' is a very frequently mentioned cultivar. It is a very popular ornamental plant in gardens, grown for its very slender, strictly erect growth habit. It is also sometimes listed as Juniperus virginiana 'Skyrocket' due to debate over the classification of the wild individual that is the parent of this cultivar. It was first introduced in 1949 under the name 'Pilaris 1' by Schuel Nursery in South Bend, Indiana. This cultivar is listed by Ohio State University Extension as being resistant, but not immune, to cedar-apple rust. The cultivar 'Wichita Blue' is an all-male selection of the species. It has a conical shape, blue-green foliage, and grows slowly. It has the same winter hardiness as the species. Like most junipers, Rocky Mountain juniper can be infected by a number funguses. Cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae) produces hard stem galls in winter of up to 5 centimeters in width on susceptible junipers. These are not seriously harmful to the juniper host, but in the spring the galls produce soft, gummy horns that release spores to infect apples and related plants in the rose family where it is a much more serious disease. For this reason it is frequently recommended to not plant junipers near desirable apple trees to reduce the spread of the disease. Rocky Mountain junipers are also susceptible to hawthorn rust (Gymnosporangium globosum), quince rust (Gymnosporangium clavipes), and juniper broom rust (Gymnosporangium nidus-avis). Treatment is only to trim out infection to improve the appearance of the tree as the infection is not threatening to the health of junipers. In Europe it is attacked by the juniper webber moth, Dichomeris marginella. Wood The wood of Rocky Mountain Juniper is quite rot-resistant when cured, and prior to the widespread adoption of the steel fence post they were often harvested to build fences in the American west. The wood is lighter in weight and not as hard as that of the Eastern red cedar. In strength, color, and appearance it is difficult to distinguish the two apart. The outer sapwood is light-colored while the inner heartwood is deep red with occasional streaks of white or purple. Due to the usually small size of their trunks they are not much utilized as timber except for making specialty products like "cedar" linings for closets or chests to repel moths. Traditional uses Some Plateau Indian tribes boiled an infusion from the leaves and inner bark to treat coughs and fevers. The cones were also sometimes boiled into a drink used as a laxative and to treat colds. Among many Native American cultures, the smoke of the burning juniper is used to drive away evil spirits prior to conducting a ceremony, such as a healing ceremony. A small quantity of ripe berries can be eaten as an emergency food or as a sage-like seasoning for meat. The dried berries can be roasted and ground into a coffee substitute. ==See also==