Return to Native Trees of the Southern Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountain Juniper: berries less than or about 1/4 inch across; often pale blue or pale greenish-blue. Usually has a single trunk. Bark often has reddish-brown color in places. Usually two seeds in each berry, sometimes one or three. Found throughout the region, but is the only juniper of the high mountains and on the eastern slope of Colorado north of Colorado Springs. Twigs thin, about 1/32 inch.

Utah Juniper: berries more than 1/4 inch across, and often reddish-brown; needles yellow-green; berries dry and mealy inside. Bark grey or ashen, with abundant long shreddy fibers. Only found west of the Continental Divide.

Oneseed Juniper: berries 1/8 to 1/4 inch across with one seed, dark-blue, reddish-brown or copper colored, juicy inside. Needles often grey-green. Often has several trunks. Not found east and north of Colorado Springs.