Foliage branches numerous, irregular, not pendulous. Bark on small branches first pink turning gray and flaking on trunk and large branches brown, weathering gray and exfoliating in thin strips often the bark bears a gray-white fungus. Branches long, spreading to ascending, forming an open to dense, irregular to rounded crown. Descriptionĭioecious large shrub or small tree, 6-10(-15) m tall, usually single-stemmed for basal 1-3 m, up to 50 cm dbh. monosperma, and seems to be an eastern vicariant of it," asserting that these are two members of a "species complex" that includes J. pinchotii have been refuted using numerous chemical and morphologic characters." Farjon (2005) expresses some doubt about this, and adds his opinion that J. Adams 2007.Īdams (1993) says that "reports of hybridization with J. Type locality Sylamore, Arkansas, where collected by W. Juniperus mexicana Sprengel in part, cf.Juniperus sabinoides (Kunth) Nees 1847, non Griseb.Currently working on a nature guide for Central Texas.Ashe juniper, mountain cedar (Adams 1993), post cedar, rock cedar, Ozark white cedar, Mexican juniper ( Farjon 2005). Jim served as a member of the BBNHA Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute.Īuthors of Nature Watch Austin, Nature Watch Big Bend, Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies, and Native Host Plants for Texas Moths, all published by Texas A&M University Press. Lynne served on the Big Bend Natural History Association (BBNHA) Board of Directors and the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Citizens Advisory Council. Nature writers & photographers for newsletters & other publications.Certified Habitat Stewards for the National Wildlife Federation & stewards of a private 8-acre preserve now part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.Colima Warbler surveys for Big Bend National Park.Lepidoptera curating & outreach for the University of Texas Insect Collection.
Golden-cheeked Warbler surveys, guided hikes, property monitoring & invasive plant mapping/control for the City of Austin Wildland Conservation Division.Lynne & Jim Weber are certified Texas Master Naturalists.
Eroded soil can fill the recharge cracks and limestone karsts with silt, which ultimately decreases the amount of water that percolates into the aquifer. When slopes are clear-cut of juniper and native grasses cannot establish themselves, we not only lose our soil, but we may also be losing water. This allows a thick organic litter to accumulate under the juniper, which slows down erosion and provides flash flood control. Junipers are extremely drought tolerant, and their dense canopy breaks the impact of falling rain. Scientific stemflow studies have shown that the juniper does not take in much more water than any other native woody plant its’ size. Myth #2: The ‘cedar’ tree is a water hog. Naturally occurring on steep, west-facing slopes, they have spread to cover most of our terrain due to our tendency to suppress the normal wildfires that kept them within their typical boundaries.
While native to our area, Ashe Junipers are invasive. Additionally, in historical records dating back to the late 1600s and early 1700s, junipers are accurately described by Spanish trailblazers, missionaries, and other early settlers and explorers alike. While you have probably heard some of the tall tales about how junipers may have arrived in Central Texas, the undisputable proof that they are native lies in fossilized juniper pollen found in our area, dating back to the last Ice Age. Myth #1: The ‘cedar’ tree is not a native tree.