| General Description | Juniperus deppeana is a an evergreen tree or shrub with unique bark that looks like alligator skin, blue-green needles and edible, blue berries that are a wildlife attractant. |
| ID Characteristic | Very distinctive bark comprised of square scales, each with a yellowy or transparent spot of residue. There is often more then one leader. |
| Shape | Wide-spreading crown. Single stemmed trees can be pyramidal. |
| Propagation | By seed requiring a period of cold stratification to induce germination. Subject seeds to a cycle of 3 temperature periods lasting 2 - 3 months each: cold followed by warm and back to cold. Another method is to soak the seeds for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water. They are best sown as soon as they are ripe and kept in a cold frame. Some may germinate in the spring but most will take up to another year. Harvested seed greens (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seed coat has hardened) may also be used.. Seedlings can be potted individually when they grow large enough to handle. Plant outside in early summer. Dried seeds can remain viable for several years. Propagate by cuttings of mature wood taken in September or October, 5 - 10 cm long with a heel and kept in a cold frame. Plant outside the following autumn. Layer in September / October. |
| Cultivation | Grow in a hot and dry location, full sun, in well-drained, neutral or slightly alkaline soil. Will tolerate a wide range of soils. Grows best in dry climates with hot summers. Do not overwater. |
| Pests | No serious pests or diseases of note. |
| Habitat | Open oak or pine woodlands on dry, arid mountain slopes associated with other juniper species and pinyon pines. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Resembles the rough, checkered skin of an alligator, dark grey-brown, cracked into small square plates with nearly black fissures. |
| Leaf Description | Needles are arranged in opposite decussate pairs or whorls of three, blue-green, covered with a waxy coating, adult leaves are scale-like. |
| Flower Description | Plants are monaecious: male flowers are small and pale yellow, forming large clusters at twig terminals; female flowers are similarly sized, round and pale green. |
| Fruit Description | Fruit is berry-like, round, reddish brown often with a white glaucous bloom, scales often have a blunt point, there are 3 - 5 seeds. Fruit mature in two growing seasons. |