Pinchot's Juniper

(Juniperus pinchotii)

Pinchot's Juniper (Juniperus pinchotii)

Identifying Characters: Pinchot's Juniper is a messy looking, shrubby juniper. The berries are bright red and the scales occur in groups of three.

Similar Species: The bright red berries should separate this species from all others within its range. Ashe's Juniper is most likely to be confused with Pinchot's Juniper. A raised hemisperical scale gland is present in Ashe's Juniper, but absent in Pinchot's Juniper. The berries of Ashe's Juniper are dark blue, but those of Pinchot's Juniper are reddish.

Measurements: Pinchot's Juniper is either a tree or a shrub, although mostly a shrub with multiple branches arising from the group; crown spreading, irregular. Height of tree-like individuals 15 to 20 feet with a diameter of 1 foot at breast height.

Female Cones: Cones berry-like, about 0.4 inches in diameter, hard and dry; color bright red to red-brown; 1 seed only.

Leaves: Leaves scale-like, in groups of 3; length about 1/16 inches in length; scales with a glandular dot, bluntly pointed; color yellow green.

Bark: Light brown to slightly gray; bark thin, furrowed into scaly ridges, not shredding.

Native Range: Pinchot's Juniper occurs throughout northern and western Texas, but is absent in the south and east. The range crosses into southern Oklahoma and southern, continuing westward throughout southern and central Arizona..

Habitat: Pinchot's Juniper occurs primarily on dry plains and hills and the lower slopes of mountains. The species is commonly found with other species of pinyon pines and junipers.

Notes: Pinchot's Juniper is divided into two species by some systematists. Populations of Pinchot's Juniper from western Texas to southern and central Arizona are sometimes given species status as Redberry Juniper, Juniperus coahuilensis. The two "species" hybridize in their zone of overlap in southwestern Texas.