ARIZONA CYPRESS
Cupressus arizonica
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Height: To 40’ (90’ maximum).
Trunk: To 2’ in diameter (5½’ maximum).
Bark: Variable. Northern Arizona populations tend to have smooth, dark reddish bark with age, while southern and southeastern Arizona plants have rough bark.
Cones: Reddish brown, short-stalked, hard, woody; wedge-shaped scales with a point in center of each; to 1” in diameter.
Leaves: Pale, bluish green, scalelike; thick, pointed, resinous; to ¹⁄₁₆” long.
Elevation: 3,500 to 5,500’.
Habitat: Canyons and slopes.
Comments: Evergreen. Cones open when mature and remain attached to tree for a number of years. Crown either conical or rounded. One species of Cupressus in Arizona.
COMMON JUNIPER
Ground-Cedar
Juniperus communis var. depressa
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Height: Shrub to 3’.
Bark: Reddish brown, scaly.
Cones: Bluish, berrylike; to ⁵⁄₁₆” in diameter, grow at junction of leaves and branchlets.
Needles: Broad, white band above, shiny, dark green beneath; needle-shaped and concave, sharp-pointed and stiff; to ½” long; in whorls of 3, spreading at right angles to branchlets.
Elevation: 7,500 to 11,500’.
Habitat: Rocky soils from spruce-fir forests to timberline.
Comments: Prostrate evergreen shrub growing to 10’ in diameter. A valuable erosion fighter. Cones take three seasons to mature. “Berries” of all junipers consist of cone scales that have thickened and grown together—actually cones that never open. “Berries” are eaten by birds and other wildlife, and are used commercially to add flavor to gin. Seven species of Juniperus in Arizona. Photograph taken in mountains above Greer, August 14. This juniper is recognizable by its dwarf size and shrubbiness.
ALLIGATOR JUNIPER
Cedro Chino
Juniperus deppeana var. deppeana
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Height: To 50’.
Trunk: To 4’ in diameter.
Bark: On older trees the bark’s deep fissures are divided into 1 to 2” squares that resemble an alligator’s hide.
Cones: Reddish brown beneath a grayish, waxy coating; hard, 4-seeded; to ½” in diameter.
Leaves: Bluish green scalelike, pointed; to ¹⁄₁₆” long; dense on branches.
Elevation: 4,500 to 8,000’.
Habitat: In oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands, and lower elevation ponderosa pine.
Comments: Evergreen; largest juniper species in Arizona. Rounded or pyramidal crown. Cones do not mature until second year. “Berries” eaten by wildlife. Cut stumps send forth new shoots. Slow grower; lives 500 to 800 years, with records of 1,100 and 1,400 years. Seven species of Juniperus in Arizona. Photograph taken on Mount Graham, April 21. Mature trees recognized by alligator-like bark.
ONE-SEED JUNIPER
Sabina
Juniperus monosperma
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Height: To 25’.
Trunk: To 1½’ in diameter. Has several limbs arising from ground.
Bark: Gray, shreddy, fibrous.
Cones: Coppery green, covered with a bluish, waxy substance; to ¼” in diameter; usually only 1-seeded.
Leaves: Yellowish green, scalelike; about ¹⁄₁₆” long.
Elevation: 3,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Plateaus, plain, foothills, and pinyonjuniper woodlands in the northern reaches of Arizona.
Comments: Evergreen shrub or small tree with very aromatic wood. Usually shrubby, and limbs normally well-hidden by lower branches. Cones mature in one year. Seeds smaller than Utah juniper. Male and female flowers borne on different trees; pollen on male trees and “berries” on female trees. Wood used for fuel and fence posts. Cones eaten by wildlife. Native Americans had many uses for bark and seeds. In the southern two-thirds of Arizona grows a close relative of one-seed juniper; Roseberry or Redberry Juniper (Juniperus coahuilensis). Form is similar in appearance; however, cones are reddish. Seven species of Juniperus in Arizona. Photograph taken in Ashurst Lake area, September 6. This juniper is recognizable by its many limbs arising from ground level; limbs are usually hidden by lower branches.
UTAH JUNIPER
Western Juniper
Juniperus osteosperma
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Height: To 20’.
Trunk: To 1½’ in diameter. Has clearly defined trunk.
Bark: Gray, shreddy in long strips, fibrous.
Cones: Reddish brown covered with grayish, waxy coating; 1- to 2-seeded; to ¾” in diameter.
Leaves: Yellowish green, scalelike; about ¹⁄₁₆” long.
Elevation: 3,000 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Dry hills, plains, plateaus, and mountains in pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Comments: Most common juniper in Arizona. Has broad, rounded crown. Seeds larger than One-seed Juniper (page 419). Male and female flowers on same tree. Cones mature in two seasons. Native Americans use berries for beads and medicine, and wood for firewood, posts, and hogans. Cones eaten by wildlife. Mistletoe often grown in these trees. Seven species of Juniperus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Ashurst Lake area, September 6. This juniper is recognizable by its definite trunk.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN JUNIPER
Western Red Cedar
Juniperus scopulorum
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)
Height: To 40’, but usually about 20’.
Trunk: To 1½” in diameter.
Bark: Reddish brown or gray, shreddy, fibrous.
Cones: Blue, covered with a grayish, waxy coating; ¼” in diameter; usually 2-seeded.
Leaves: Grayish green, scalelike, ¹⁄₈” long; young twigs on immature trees have needlelike leaves.
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Mesas and rocky mountain slopes.
Comments: Wood and leaves have pencil smell when crushed. Branches often droop at ends. Cones mature in two seasons; provide food for wildlife. Wood used for cedar chests, fuel, fence posts, and lumber. Seven species of Juniperus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Oak Creek Canyon, June 8. This juniper recognizable by its upright growth and drooping branch tips.
NEVADA JOINTFIR
Mormon Tea
Ephedra nevadensis var. aspera
Joint-Fir Family (Ephedraceae)
Height: Usually 3’ to 4’.
Flowers: Tiny, pale yellow, in dense conelike clusters. Male and female flowers on separate plants.
Leaves: Reduced to scales when present; usually 2 per node (joint).
Blooms: February–March.
Elevation: Below 4,500’.
Habitat: Desert and grassland.
Comments: Yellow-green stemmed perennial shrub. Valuable soil binder whose scalelike leaves help conserve moisture. Mormon settlers made tea from dried stems. Native Americans used plant medicinally for treatment of certain diseases. Ten species of Ephedra in Arizona. Photograph taken in Superstition Mountains, February 6.
SUBALPINE FIR
Rocky Mountain Fir
Abies bifolia (Abies lasiocarpa)
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: to 90’.
Trunk: To 2’ in diameter.
Bark: Grayish brown, smooth, becoming fissured and scaly with age.
Cones: Dark purplish to almost black, covered with beads of pitch; cylindrical, to 4” long; stand upright in top part of tree, disintegrate at maturity, leaving behind a vertical core in tree.
Needles: Dark bluish green with 2 silvery lines on surfaces; spreading or in 2 rows, curve upward; flexible, soft, flat, with rounded or notched tip; to 1” long.
Elevation: 8,000 to 12,000’.
Habitat: Cool, moist spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Evergreen; smallest of true firs. Crown is long, narrow, and comes to sharp point. Branches extend almost to base of tree. Browsed by deer and sheep. Seeds eaten by birds and small mammals. Two species of Abies in Arizona. Photograph taken at Hannagan Meadow, August 17. (Mature cone in photograph dropped on us by a careless red squirrel.)
WHITE FIR
Balsam Fir
Abies concolor
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 150’.
Trunk: To 3½’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark gray, thick, deeply furrowed.
Cones: Grayish green, to 5” long, upright in top part of tree; do not fall after shedding seeds.
Needles: Pale blue-green or silvery; spreading and curved upward; flat, to 3” long.
Elevation: 5,500 to 9,000’.
Habitat: Ponderosa and spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Evergreen. When young, forms a perfect pyramid if growing in open. Pollen-producing cones appear on lower branches in spring and early summer. These soon die after wind currents send the pollen upward to female cones forming near top of tree. Birds and mammals eat seeds; porcupines chew on bark. Two species of Abies in Arizona. Photograph taken at Black Canyon Lake area, June 5.
ENGELMANN SPRUCE
White Spruce
Picea engelmannii
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 100’ (rarely this height in Arizona).
Trunk: To 3’ in diameter (rarely in Arizona).
Bark: Purplish to reddish brown; thin and scaly.
Cones: Chestnut brown with papery scales; stiff, rounded and thinner at tip; pendent, to 2½” long.
Needles: Dark green or pale blue-green; slightly curved, flexible, 4-sided in cross section; to 1¼” long.
Elevation: 8,000 to 12,000’.
Habitat: Moist spruce-fir forests.
Comments: Twigs are minutely hairy. Narrow, pointed, conical crown; horizontal to drooping branches nearly to ground. Shallow root system easily uprooted in winds. Wood weak and knotty, used by Native Americans for bows and hoops. Two species of Picea in Arizona. Photograph taken near Mexican Hay Lake, July 2. Mainly distinguished from Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) (page 423) by its shorter cones with scales thinner at tips; brownish, scaly bark; and flexible needles. If you squeeze a spruce branch without hurting your hand, it’s this species.
BLUE SPRUCE
Colorado Blue Spruce
Picea pungens
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 80’.
Trunk: To 2’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark gray or brown; thick, rough, furrowed into ridges.
Cones: Chestnut brown; scales more or less straight across, and are not thinner at tip; to 4” long.
Needles: Silvery blue and stiff; protrude in all directions from branch; diamond-shaped in cross section; to 1½” long.
Elevation: 7,000 to 11,000’.
Habitat: Mixed conifer forests.
Comments: Twigs not hairy. Conical crown of bluish foliage on young trees. State tree of Colorado and Utah. Smaller than Engelmann spruce, and less widely distributed than Engelmann spruce in Arizona. Two species of Picea in Arizona. Photograph taken in mountains above Greer, July 2. Mainly distinguished from Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii) (page 422) by its longer cones with scales of even thickness, dark grayish, furrowed bark, and stiff needles. If you squeeze a spruce branch and say “ouch,” it’s more than likely this species.
BRISTLECONE PINE
Foxtail Pine
Pinus aristata
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 40’.
Trunk: To 2½’ in diameter.
Bark: Whitish and smooth on young trees; reddish brown, scaly, fissured on mature trees.
Cones: Dark purplish brown, hanging; each scale tipped with a stiff, ¼”-long, incurved prickle; to 4” long.
Needles: Dark green, curved, to 1½” long; 5 in bundle, crowded, forming brushlike groupings along branch ends. Remain on tree up to 30 years before being shed.
Elevation: 9,500 to 12,000’. (Found only on San Francisco Peaks in Arizona.)
Habitat: Spruce-fir forests up to timberline.
Comments: Resembles a bushy, twisted shrub at timberline. Some bristlecone pines in California are over 4,000 years old. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Great Basin National Park, Nevada, July 21.
MEXICAN PINYON PINE
Pinus cembroides (Pinus discolor)
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 20’.
Trunk: To 1’ in diameter.
Bark: Light gray, smooth when young; reddish brown and scaly on older trees.
Cones: Dull reddish brown, round or egg-shaped with thick scales; to 2” wide, 2” long; open to reveal hard, dark brown seeds to ¾” long (known as “pinyon nuts”).
Needles: Blue-green with silvery lines; 3 in bundle, fine, flexible; to 2½” long.
Elevation: 5,000 to 7,500’.
Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes with juniper and oaks.
Comments: Slow grower. Can reach age of 350 years. Cones fall in the winter after seeds disperse. Seeds or nuts under cone scales are hard-shelled and flavorful. Pinyon nuts food for Native Americans; also consumed by birds and rodents. Pinyon pitch used as jewelry cement and for waterproofing baskets. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Chiricahua National Monument, April 25. This pinyon pine recognizable by bundle of 3 needles.
PINYON PINE
Pinus edulis
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: to 35’.
Trunk: To 30” in diameter.
Bark: Gray to reddish brown, furrowed into scaly ridges.
Cones: Light brown to yellowish brown; eggshaped; thick, blunt scales; to 2” long.
Needles: Dark green, slightly curved; usually 2 per bundle; to 2” long.
Elevation: 4,000 to 7,000’.
Habitat: Mesas, plateaus, and lower mountain slopes.
Comments: Compact, rounded crown; often with short, crooked trunk. Slow grower. Large, ½”-long brown seeds from cones are oily and edible; known variously as piñones, pinyon nuts, pine nuts, Christmas nuts, and Indian nuts. They are eaten by wild turkeys, pinyon jays, and mammals, and are used commercially (raw and roasted) and in candies. Most drought-resistant of all pines in Arizona. Wood used for fence posts and fuel. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken near Sunset Crater National Monument, September 8. This pinyon pine recognizable by bundle of 2 needles. Singleleaf Pinyon (Pinus monophylla) is very similar, but its needles occur singly.
APACHE PINE
Pinus engelmannii
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 75’.
Trunk: To 30’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark brown and lighter brown; deeply furrowed with age.
Cones: Light brown; asymmetrical at base; scales tipped with prickles; conical or egg-shaped; to 5½” long.
Needles: Dark green; usually 3 in bundle; spreading or drooping; to 15” long.
Elevation: 5,000 to 8,200’.
Habitat: Dry, sandy soil in southeastern Arizona.
Comments: Has mostly taproots. Seeds eaten by wildlife. Not a common pine in Arizona. Can live up to 500 years. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken near Cave Creek, Portal, April 23. Recognized by very long, widely spreading or drooping needles.
LIMBER PINE
Pinus flexilis
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 50’.
Trunk: To 3’ in diameter.
Bark: Young trees: smooth, whitish gray. Mature trees: dark brown to black, split by deep furrows.
Cones: Yellowish brown; columnar, without prickles; thickened, rounded scales, blunt-pointed tip; to 6” long.
Needles: Dark green, long-pointed, with silvery white lines on all surfaces; not toothed; 5 in a bundle; to 3½” long.
Elevation: 7,500 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Spruce-fir forests and ponderosa forests (to a lesser degree).
Comments: Short trunk, widely branched crown with drooping, plumelike, flexible branches. Squirrels feed on seeds. Foliage browsed by elk and deer. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken near Willow Springs Lake, September 14. Distinguished from Southwestern White Pine (Pinus strobiformis) (page 427) by its wider cones ending in blunt tips, needles with silvery white lines on all surfaces, and drooping ends of branches.
CHIHUAHUA PINE
Pinus leiophylla var. chihuahuana (Pinus chihuahuana)
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 60’.
Trunk: To 2’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark reddish brown to black; very thick, broad ridges, deep furrows.
Cones: Light brown and shiny; scales tipped with shedding prickles; to 3” long; three years to mature.
Needles: Pale green to dull gray with white lines; to 4½” long; 3 in bundle, sheaths around bundles soon shed. Needles often appear randomly in clusters on trunk.
Elevation: 5,000 to 7,800’.
Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes. Scattered in pine forests in mountains of southeastern Arizona.
Comments: Cones stay on tree a long time. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Cave Creek, Portal, April 22. Similar to Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) (at right) but has shorter needles, smaller cones, and much darker bark.
PONDEROSA PINE
Western Yellow Pine
Pinus ponderosa
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 125’.
Trunk: To 4’ in diameter.
Bark: Young trees: dark brown to almost black; older trees: cinnamon brown to orangish yellow with irregular fissures.
Cones: Light reddish brown, tipped with prickly scales; conical or egg-shaped; to 5” long.
Needles: Dark green, to 7” long; usually 3 in a bundle, at times 2 (5 in Arizona Pine Pinus arizonica, a closely related species found in southeastern Arizona).
Elevation: 5,000 to 9,500’ (6,000 to 9,000’ for Arizona pine).
Habitat: Mountains and higher plateaus.
Comments: The most abundant pine in Arizona. With mainly surface roots, tree is easily blown down in open areas. The wood beneath the bark is twisted, which protects many of these trees from wind damage. Some large trees are 400 to 500 years old. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Sunset Crater National Monument, May 31. Mature trees recognizable by large, straight, orangish brown, fissured trunk free of lower branches; existing branches turn upward.
SOUTHWESTERN WHITE PINE
Pinus strobiformis
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 80’.
Trunk: To 3’ in diameter.
Bark: Dark gray or dull reddish brown, becoming deeply furrowed and narrowly ridged.
Cones: Yellowish brown, cylindrical; long and slightly thickened cone scales; tip narrow, spreading, and bent back; to 9” long.
Needles: Bluish green, silvery white lines on inner surface only, to 3½” long; 5 in bundle, slender, finely toothed near tip.
Elevation: 6,500 to 10,000’.
Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes and canyons.
Comments: Closely related to limber pine. Seeds eaten by wildlife. Ten species of Pinus in Arizona. Photograph taken at Greer, August 10. Unlike similar Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis) (page 425), cones are slimmer and have narrow, bent-back tips, and needles have white lines only on inner surfaces.
DOUGLAS FIR
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Pine Family (Pinaceae)
Height: To 200’ in Pacific Northwest; 100 to 130’ in Arizona.
Trunk: To 6’ in diameter in Pacific Northwest, but less in Arizona.
Bark: Dark reddish brown, very thick, deeply furrowed.
Cones: Reddish brown, thin with rounded scales; long, distinctive 3-pointed papery bracts extending from between scales; to 3” long, hanging from branches.
Needles: Dark bluish green; protrude in all directions from branch; narrow, flat, and soft, rounded at apex; to 1¹⁄₈” long.
Elevation: 6,500 to 10,000’, down to 5,000’ in canyons.
Habitat: Mixed with ponderosa pines or with spruce-firs.
Comments: Not a true fir. The largest tree in Arizona. Valuable for its timber. Compact, conical crown with drooping side branches. Seeds and foliage eaten by wildlife. One species of Pseudotsuga in Arizona. Photograph taken in Willow Springs Lake area, September 15. The cones’ 3-pointed, paper bracts are unique to this species.