Juniperus scopulorum aka Rocky Mountain Juniper

Juniperus scopulorum, commonly known as the Rocky Mountain juniper, is an upright, evergreen conifer native to western North America. It has silvery-blue foliage and is well-adapted to poor soil, heat, and drought conditions. This makes it an ideal choice for various landscaping purposes, such as being planted as a specimen in smaller gardens or as a barrier or screen when planted in rows. The Rocky Mountain juniper is a dioecious shrub or small tree that can reach heights of up to 10-13 (20) meters with a trunk diameter of up to 0.8-1 (2) meters. However, in cultivation, it is usually much smaller. Its conical crown starts from the base and becomes rounder with age. The bark is brown, and the young shoots are light or bluish green. The leaves are dark green, often with a bluish or grayish hue, and are predominantly scaly. They are opposite, ovate-rhombic in shape, and have a blunt apex. The needle-shaped leaves can grow up to 12 mm long and 2 mm wide. The pine berries are globular, dark blue with a blue bloom, and have a diameter of 4-6 mm. They ripen at the end of the second year and contain 2, rarely 3 ribbed reddish-brown seeds with a diameter of 4-5 mm.