Juniperus deppeana
(Alligator Juniper)
Family - Cupressaceae
Category - Conifer
Origin - Southwest USA, Mexico
Year of Introduction - 1904
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Hardiness - H4
Height - 6m or more
Width - up to 4m
Location - The Terrace
Description: A small Evergreen, coniferous tree with ascending branches and a broadly conical outline. The aromatic bark matures to silvery-grey with pronounced grooves and small, square to rectangular plates (hence the common name, Alligator Juniper). Many small, blue-green, scale-like to Awl-shaped needles are held in alternating pairs along the slender branchlets. Dioecious (male and female cones are held on separate plants). The cones are reddish-brown when young and are produced during the summer. The cones become fleshy and covered in waxy Bloom once ripened.
Flower:
Dioecious, male and female cones are held on separate plants. The cones are reddish-brown when young and are produced during the summer months. The cones become fleshy (not woody) and covered in waxy bloom once they mature, which happens in their second year.
Foliage:
Many small Awl-shaped to scale-like needles are a shade of blue-green and held in alternating pairs on the slender, ascending branchlets. The branches are reddish-brown when young. The aromatic bark matures to silvery-grey with prominent grooves and small, square to rectangular plates.
Foliage Senescence: Evergreen
Foliage Shape: Awl-shaped to scale-like needles
Propagation:
Cuttings, seed.
Cultivation:
Best in full sun to partial shade in fertile, moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained.