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Juniperus deppeana
The Alligator Juniper is a member of the Cypress Family. It is a large tree which grows to 50 feet in height with a trunk to 4 feet in diameter. The tree is easily identified by its bark, which becomes deeply fissured with age to form squares one to two inches on a side. Needles are blue-green in color and scaly and grow to 1/16 inch in length. The Alligator Juniper typically grows in oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands at elevations between 4500 and 8000 feet.
Canyon in Santa Catalina Mountains.
The alligator juniper is named for its distinctive bark that resembles the rough, checkered skin of an alligator. This species can either be a shrub or tree depending on the growing location and conditions.
Spotted on Nov 3, 2013
Submitted on Dec 1, 2013
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