Description

Leaves: Pale green or often glaucous, yellow-green to silvery grayish-green; scale-like, or pointed on juvenile/fast-growing twigs; scales overlap in four rows to cover twigs similar to junipers; 1/16" in length; soft textured; resin-producing gland normally visible; odorous; evergreen, though leaves turn reddish-brown and die during second year and then fall off in approximately 4 years.

Twigs/buds: Branchlets dark gray, four-sided; bark scaly; inner bark reddish. Buds small, inconspicuous, and naked.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers monoecious; male flowers yellow, in small oblong cones; female flowers in almost ball-like cones; inconspicuous. Fruit a dark red-brown cone, almost ball-like, 3/4" to 1" in diameter, on thick stalk; matures in second summer, remains attached to tree for multiple years; has flat scales, 6-8 in number, pointed, and shield-shaped; seeds red-brown and winged, located on the scales (6-20 per scale), thin, oblong to triangular, 1/16" to 1/8" long.

Bark: Bark gray with red-brown patches and strips; reddish, scaly, and smooth when young; shiny, interesting, attractive, and shreddy; sometimes develops furrowed, thick, fibrous bark with age.

Wood: Unimportant; light brown to straw-colored; durable, soft, light; easy to split; resistant to termites and heartwood decay; used to make fence posts or mine timbers.

General: Native to Mexico and the southwestern U.S., though not to Utah. Widely distributed. A medium or large-sized tree, from 40' to 60' in height. Canopy dense and cone-shaped. Prefers full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. Abundant moisture and humidity make it more susceptible to disease, including mistletoe, rust, and blight.

Landscape Use: Has potential for planting in warm sites in Utah. I know of many doing well in the Wasatch Front and one in Logan. Used often to create windbreaks, screens or barriers. Needs little maintenance. Zones 7-9.

Cultivars: 'Blue Ice', 'Blue Pyramid', 'Carolina Sapphire', 'Glauca', 'Limelight', 'Silver Smoke'.

Characteristics