Rocky Mountain Juniper
The Tree | |
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The Rocky Mountain Juniper grows more or less irregularly 25 to 40 feet high with short trunks up to 18 inches in diameter, When no suppressed or exposed on rocky mountain sides, the tree grows straight, similar to Eastern Redcedar or so called Tennessee Redcedar. The foliage is a pale gray-green color, and the bark is somewhat stringy and a cinnamon-brown to grayish color. The berries are nearly round, one-quarter to one-third inch in diameter, blue but covered with a whitish bloom. Rocky Mt. Juniper foilage
Rocky Mountain Juniper Pollen Cones
Rocky Mountain Juniper Tree Bark
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Common Names in Use | |
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Growth Range | |
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This tree is found throughout the higher elevations, Alberta and South Dakota to New Mexico, and from British Columbia south through Washington, Oregon and Nevada to Arizona. | |
The Wood | |
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The heartwood of Rocky Mountain Juniper is a beautiful tan to a bright rose-red, sometimes lightly streaked with narrow purple markings. The sapwood is comparatively thick and a creamy-white color. The wood has a pleasing aromatic odor, is fine-grained, durable, soft and easy to work, and takes a smooth finish. It is a delightful wood to handle in the workshop. Rocky Mountain Juniper Logs
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Uses | |
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Because of the sparse and scattered supply of this wood, it has found no commercial use except locally for fence posts. It is suitable for lead pencils, cedar chests, closet linings and other uses similar to those of Eastern Redcedar. The beautiful color and texture of Rocky Mountain Juniper is such as to warrant far more extensive use in novelties. | |
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