One-seed Juniper, Cherrystone Juniper, New Mexico Juniper, West Texas Juniper
Family:
Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)
Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map
Chihuahuan Deserts, High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys
Plant Characteristics
Growth Form
Shrub
Height
6
to
20
ft.
Spread
6
to
20
ft.
Leaf Retention
Evergreen
Lifespan
Perennial
Habitat and Care Requirements
Soil Type(s)
Sand, Gravelly, Dry
Light Requirement
Part Shade
Water Requirement
Low
Native Habitat
Grassland, Woodland
Bloom and Attraction
Bloom Color
Orange
Bloom Season
Spring
Seasonal Interest
Berry, Forage
Wildlife Benefit
Browsers, Birds, Small Mammals
Maintenance
Very cold hardy and drought tolerant juniper. Provides shelter for wildlife and less-tolerant plants. Invades disturbed sites. Susceptible to mistletoe (prune it out). It can be pruned to a single trunk, but is most interesting in its wild form.
Comments
One-seed juniper is a large shrub or small tree, with a gnarled, multi-trunked appearance in the wild. Bark is thin, scaly and ashy. Fragrant foliage is scale-like on mature twigs; needle-like on young shoots and seedlings. Bluish-black to copper-colored fruits occur on the female plants.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Juniperus occidentalis var. gymnocarpa, Sabina monosperma
References
1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUMO, 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Juniperus+monosperma&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=8235&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg 316. 6) Miller George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd ed, pg 48. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=194853#null
Download / Print
Download a 1 page PDF file for this plant, suitable for sharing, printing, and plant sales. Includes an ecoregion map, and a QR code back to this page.
Downloading PDFs only works on desktop browsers
Favorites
You can favorite this plant and others and maintain a list of your favorite native plants below. You can also unfavorite a plant and clear your list. Click on a plant to go to it.