Juniperus deppeana

• BOTANICAL NAME: Juniperus deppeana
• PRONUNCIATION: ju-NIP-er-us dep-e-A-na
• COMMON NAME: Alligator Juniper
• FAMILY: Cupressaceae
• NATIVITY: Southwestern Texas, west to Arizona, south into Mexico.
• GROWTH HABIT: Broad pyramidal.
• SIZE: The species will grow to 60' in its native habitat.
• HARDINESS: Zone (possibly 6) 7 - 9.
• CULTURE: Grows in full sun, in hot, limestone soils. Seems to adapt to the moderately heavy soils of the mid-Atlantic. Will not do well in poorly drained, wet soils.
• LANDSCAPE USE: Specimen or as groups in the landscape.
• FOLIAGE: Opposite, primarily scale form foliage. Leaves tightly adpressed to the stem forming a four-sided branchlet. Distinctive blue cast to the foliage.
• BUDS:
• BARK: Gray and broken into a small, checkered pattern.
• FRUIT: Cone, red brown about 1/2" long, ripening the second year. Plants are dioecious.
• PROPAGATION: Seed, cuttings (root readily).
• PESTS: None serious.
• CULTIVARS:
  • `McFetters' - Intense blue foliage. Possibly the bluest foliage of any conifer.

This information is made available through a joint effort of the Departments of Food and Resource Economics and Plant and Soil Sciences College of Agricultural Sciences University of Delaware.