Plant · P-1007

Ashe Juniper

Juniperus ashei

Ashe juniper is a slow-growing, densely branched evergreen conifer of rocky, limestone canyons and outcrops, capable of living two to three centuries once established. Its close-grained, fragrant, rot-resistant wood has long been cut locally for fence posts, poles and fuel, and its small, sweet, resinous blue cones are eaten fresh by birds that scatter the seed widely. It thrives on thin, well-drained, alkaline soil where little else grows, tolerating drought, heat and cold once its taproot is established, though young seedlings need a season of shelter to establish.