Return to Native Trees of the Southern Rocky Mountains

Utah juniper grows in dry, rocky or sandy locations in the high plateau country and river valleys of the western third of Colorado, west of the Continental Divide, from 5000 to 9500 feet above sea level, principally below 7000 feet. It is the most common juniper of the Pinyon-juniper woodlands of the arid western intermountain basins. Where conditions are too hot and dry for any other juniper, the Utah juniper grows alone in open groves, separated by fifty feet or more. Utah juniper makes the dark green dots scattered over the canyon country of western Colorado. Elsewhere it is the companion of the Pinyon pine and the Rocky Mountain juniper.

This tree often is round-topped, sometimes broader than tall, with thick branches, occasionally crooked, starting at the ground. Sometimes the foliage reaches the ground, creating a large bushy form. Sometimes the rounded foliage stands on a single upright trunk. It is commonly 10 to 20 feet high with a maximum trunk diameter of 1 to 2 feet; it rarely exceeds 20 feet high. In the driest conditions Utah juniper trees may have several dead limbs, showing a few live tufts of green foliage.

This tree is distinguished by the largest berries of any Colorado juniper, 1/4 to 3/4 inch across. The berries are reddish-brown, often with a whitish powdery coating which makes them appear blue at first glance. You can easily rub off the coating. The berry contains one seed; rarely two. The scientific name is Sabina osteosperma (formerly Juniperus osteosperma ). Osteosperma means "bone-seed" and describes the hardness of the seeds.

Bark

The bark is thin, very pale gray-brown, gray-brown, ash grey or almost whitish, covered with abundant long fibrous shreds or ridges.

Berries

The berries are reddish-brown, over 1/4 inch across, sometimes over 1/2 inch, and dry, mealy or fibrous inside, not moist or juicy like the Oneseed juniper berry. Sometimes coated with a thin bluish coating which can be rubbed off. The surface of the berry has a number of small points. The berries hold one seed, sometimes two. Seeds are very hard and two-colored, brown and white.

Twigs and Needles

Leaves covering the ends of the twigs are yellow-green; 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, somewhat blunt pointed and lacking gland dots or resin spots. The foliage is thick and stubby for a juniper. The twigs are about 1/16 inch thick, twice as thick as the twigs of the Rocky Mountain juniper. They have blunt ends. While the Rocky Mountain juniper twigs have a spiny feel and appearance, Utah juniper twigs are rounded and blunt to the touch, and they are stiffer than Rocky Mountain juniper twigs.