Juniperus scopulorum
Common name: 
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Pronunciation: 
ju-NIP-er-us skop-u-LO-rum
Family: 
Cupressaceae
Genus: 
Type: 
Conifer
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Conifer, evergreen, tree, 30-40 ft (9-12 m) high, narrow, pyramidal, often with several main stems. Leaves scale-like, opposite, tightly appressed, dark or light bluish green.
  • Sun.  Can withstand drought.  Used in bonsai.
  • Hardy USDA Zone 3      Found on dry, rocky ridges of the eastern Rocky Mountains from Alberta to Texas, westward to British Columbia and eastern Oregon (in the Wallowas).
  • Many cultivars, both upright and low growing forms, including:
    • Blue Creeper™   (‘Monam’, PP 5084)  -  low growing, mounding to 2 ft (0.6 m) high, spreads 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m), blue foliage intensifies its coloring in winter.
    • ‘Cologreen’  -  upright and narrow, 20 × 6 ft (6 × 1.6 m), foliage always green.
    • ‘Gray Gleam’  -  slow growing, dense, columnar, finally to 15 × 6 ft (4.6 × 1.8 m), silver-gray foliage.
    • ‘Medora’  -  narrow, columnar, dense, 10-15 ft × 5 ft (3-4.5 × 1.5 m), bluish-green foliage, male.
    • ‘Pathfinder’  -  broad, open, pyramidal, to 15-20 ft (4.5-6 m) tall, bluish-green even in winter, foliage in flat sprays.
    • ‘Skyrocket’  -  now classified as a form of Juniperus virginiana, Eastern redcedar.
    • ‘Snow Flurries’  -  narrow shrub, 6 ft (1.8 m) high, 1 ft (30 m) wide in 10 years, columnar to fastigiate, blue foliage with cream white spots.
    • ‘Tabletop’   (syn. Table Top Blue)  -  low growing, flat topped, to 6 ft (1.8 m) high, 12 ft (3.7 m) wide, silver-blue foliage, female.
    • ‘Tolleson's Blue Weeping’  -  weeping form, drooping branchlets with bluish foliage, 20 × 10 ft (3 × 6 m).
    • ‘Tolleson's Green Weeping’  -  similar to the above, but foliage is dark green.
    • ‘Wichita Blue’  -  broad, pyramidal, irregular loose habit, 18 × 6-8 ft (5.5 × 1.8-2.4 m), bright blue foliage, male.
  • scopulorum: growing on cliffs
  • Oregon State Univ. campus: east of the Seed Lab on Campus Way.

 

Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • branchlets

    branchlets