Juniperus scopulorum seeds (Blue arrow Juniper seeds)
LATIN NAME: JUNIPERUS SCOPULORUM
COMMON NAME: Blue Arrow Juniper
On the dry ridges of the Rocky Mountains, the blue arrow juniper grows as a narrow, columnar, evergreen conifer with the dense, upright sprays of small, scale-like, blue-grey leaves and the small, rounded, blue-grey berry-like cones that ripen over two seasons. The plant steadily develops a rounded crown, often reaching 5-10 metres. Plant it in full sun with deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The rocky mountain juniper holds a place in the studies of the hardy conifers of the western ranges, its narrow, blue columns and its tolerance of the dry, windy ridges keeping it in view in the work on the drought-resistant screening conifers and the montane woodland ecology. The research looks at the way the scale leaves hold the silver-blue bloom, the berry cones ripen slowly, and the seed biology of the small, hard seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the dry garden and the wind-bitten border, the blue arrow juniper keeps the tight, silver-blue column through the year and asks for nothing but sun and good drainage. The dense foliage shelters the nesting birds, the berry cones feed them through the cold months, and the tree makes the fine vertical accent, the screening conifer and the low-maintenance specimen. It is a conifer for the open, sunny, well-drained place.
To grow the Blue Arrow Juniper from seed, clean the seeds from the dried berries and give them a cold, moist spell.
Clean the seeds from the dried berries and give them a cold, moist spell, and keep the young conifers in the open, sunny spot. before sowing them in pots of gritty compost, keep them lightly watered, and the young columns rise slowly in the full sun. The blue-grey sprays hold their colour through the year.
LATIN NAME: Juniperus scopulorum
COMMON NAME: Rocky Mountain Juniper, Western Red Cedar
The Rocky Mountain juniper is a tree of the high, dry west, and it has stood on the plains and mountains of North America for centuries. The plant grows into a dense, bushy clump, up to two metres. In autumn it bears clusters of small, round, berry-like cones, blue with a whitish bloom. It is one of the most widespread junipers of the New World, a tough, handsome tree of the dry plains and mountain slopes.
The Rocky Mountain juniper belongs to the cypress family, Cupressaceae, and it is native to western North America, from southwestern Canada through the Great Plains of the United States to small areas of northern Mexico. It is the most widespread of all the New World junipers.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a Rocky Mountain juniper from seed is easy and very rewarding. The seeds sit inside the small, berry-like cones, and they germinate best after a period of cold, moist conditions, so clean the seed and sow it in pots of free-draining compost in autumn, then leave them outdoors through winter, or chill them in the fridge for two to three months first. Germination can be slow and uneven, so be patient. Grow the seedlings on in pots, giving them full sun and excellent drainage, then plant them out in a sunny, well-drained, sheltered spot. A seed-raised juniper will grow into a tough, handsome tree.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Rocky Mountain juniper has a genuine and practical place in both ecological and horticultural research. As the most widespread juniper of the New World, it has been studied in ecology for its role in the dry plains and mountain slopes of western North America, and researchers have examined its growth, its spread and its place in the landscape, where it is of growing interest in research on grassland and woodland change. The tree has also been studied in horticulture, since many ornamental cultivars, including the popular blue columnar forms, have been selected from it, and it is grown for its handsome foliage, its drought tolerance and its value in dry gardens. The wood is also of interest, being fragrant, durable and used for fence posts and small timber. For a tree of such wide range and such growing interest, the Rocky Mountain juniper has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Rocky Mountain juniper is a generous tree of the dry west. Its berry-like cones feed birds and small mammals, its dense foliage gives shelter and nesting sites, and it grows on the dry plains and slopes, holding the soil and giving shelter in the open landscape.
Its economic value is real. The fragrant, durable wood is used for fence posts, small timber and other work, and the tree is widely grown as an ornamental, with many popular cultivars valued for their handsome, blue-grey foliage and their toughness in dry gardens. For a grower, the Rocky Mountain juniper is a tough and handsome tree, and for a gardener it brings the character of the high plains and a tree that asks for very little.