Rocky Mountain juniper -- Juniperus scopulorum

Pronunciation: june-ipp’-er-us skop-you’-lor-um

Leaves: persistent; opposite or ternate, green to silver-blue, smooth margins, very small and scale like, both horizontally and vertically arranged on branches

Young: subulate (awl-shaped)

Old: subulate and ternate - scalelike and decussate

Cones: ¼” - ½” long, sub-globose, blue-gray to black, berry-like, has 2 seeds,

Young: 3 - 8 fleshy scales, fused together; seeds: wingless and take two years to mature

Bark: graying; long, narrow fringed scales

Twig: Twigs slender, older twigs red-brown and nearly glabrous; bark peeling off; finest twigs covered by foliage.

Bud: Buds very small; indistinct; not useful for identification purposes.

Habit/Form: Upright small tree, sometimes small shrub

Other:

-Scattered distribution through the Rocky Mountains up to 9,000’

-Large shrub-like appearance; up to 40’ tall

-Occurs in pure and mixed stands

North: pines, larches, firs

South: pinyons, ponderosa, oaks

-Shade intolerant

-Uses: posts and poles

-Bad for cattle

-Gin gets its botanical taste from its “berries”

https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-juniperus-scopulorum-rocky-mountain-juniper-native-range-map