Rocky Mountain Juniper Wood

The cones are used to flavor gin.

Rocky mountain juniper wood.

Rocky mountain juniper is often confused with eastern redcedar. Juniper berries are a key ingredient in the production of gin. As its name implies rocky mountain juniper is a common evergreen throughout the rocky mountains extending into the pine ridge and wildcat hills of the nebraska panhandle. Rm juniper is widely used in shelterbelts wildlife plantings and landscape plantings in the western great plains.

Most abundant on calcareous and somewhat alkaline soils. The essential oil contains cedrol which has toxic and possibly carcinogenic properties. These creations began their journey over a hundred years ago as juniper fence posts planted in the ranches and fields across the early american west. Rocky mountain junipers are generally found below the canyon rim and are especially common where the rock is grey in color at the lowest elevations of the park.

A mature height of 20 to 30 feet and spread 8 to 12 feet is typical with a slow growth rate of 1 foot per year. The close grained aromatic and durable wood of junipers is used for furniture interior paneling novelties and fence posts. The fruits and young branches contain aromatic oil that is used in medicines. Rocky mountain juniper is widely used in shelterbelts and wildlife plantings.

Rocky mountain juniper is a dry or more rarely moist subhumid plant which grows well on open exposed bluffs rocky points or ridgetops on southern exposures and in ravines or canyons. The most common juniper in western north america is the rocky mountain juniper. Slow growing rot resistant and pleasantly fragrant junipers twisted wood is used for everything from fence posts to firewood. Native american tribes have historically used juniper wood poles to mark out agreed tribal hunting territories.

The seed cones of the common juniper are sold as juniper berries. Juniperus scopulorm or rocky mountain juniper is native to the rocky mountains and the northwestern great plains. The bluish black seed cones are similar but lack the waxy whitish bloom of rocky mountain juniper berries and attach directly without stalks to branches in the joints of leaves. Where and when to see at bryce.

All junipers produce small seed cones that resemble berries. Juniper oil is distilled from the wood twigs and leaves. Blue creeper juniper juniperus scopulorum monam a patented atypical rocky mountain juniper with a low 1 to 2 feet spreading growth habit.