Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.

Trees dioecious, to 20 m, single-stemmed (rarely multistemmed); crown conic to occasionally rounded. Bark brown, exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets exfoliating in plates. Branches spreading to ascending; branchlets erect to flaccid, 3--4-sided in cross section, ca. 2/3 or less as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves light to dark green but often glaucous blue or blue-gray, abaxial gland elliptic, conspicuous, exudate absent, margins entire (at 20´ and 40´); whip leaves 3--6 mm, not glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1--3 mm, not overlapping to overlapping by not more than 1/5 their length, keeled to rounded, apex obtuse to acute, appressed or spreading. Seed cones maturing in 2 years, of 2 distinct sizes, generally with straight peduncles, globose to 2-lobed, 6--9 mm, appearing light blue when heavily glaucous, but dark blue-black beneath glaucous coating when mature (or tan beneath glaucous coating when immature), resinous to fibrous, with (1--)2(--3) seeds. Seeds 4--5 mm. 2 n = 22.

Deciduous and coniferous woodland and scrub to montane coniferous forest where it is often on exposed rocky slopes and ridges, along streams it occurs on dry sites; occasionally foring pure stands in the north; at elevations from 500-2,700 metres

The fruit are eaten raw. They are also boiled or roasted. They can be used to flavour meat. The fruit and young shoots have been used for tea. The dried fruit are ground into meal for cakes. The fruit can be roasted as a coffee substitute. Caution: They should not be eaten in large amounts and should not be eaten by pregnant women.

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.