Tree
Rocky Mountain Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum
The native upright evergreen for screens and windbreaks across the Rockies.
- Native
- Evergreen
- Deer-resistant
Quick facts
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 3–7
- Water
- Very low once established
- Sun
- Full sun
- Size
- 20–30 ft tall × 8–15 ft wide
- Bloom & interest
- Evergreen blue-green to silver foliage; blue berry-like cones for birds
- Plant type
- Tree
- Native range
- Native throughout the Rocky Mountain West, from Canada to Arizona and New Mexico
Why we recommend it
A long-lived native evergreen for year-round screening and bird habitat that thrives without irrigation once established. Narrow selections like 'Woodward' (Plant Select) fit tight spaces.
Best regions: Front RangeGreat BasinHigh DesertGreat Plains
How to grow it
Watering to establish
Water every 1–2 weeks the first two summers, then only in severe drought.
Pruning
Minimal; shape in late winter without cutting into bare wood.
Soil
Well-drained soil, including rocky and alkaline. It hosts cedar-apple rust, so keep it away from apples and crabapples.
Pairs well with
Read more
Where to buy
Shop Rocky Mountain Juniper from trusted growers. For the best selection of xeric plants, try a mail-order specialist or ask a local independent nursery.
- High Country Gardens (opens in a new tab)Xeric specialist
- Nature Hills Nursery (opens in a new tab)Wide selection
- American Meadows (opens in a new tab)Perennials & seeds
- Etsy (opens in a new tab)Small growers
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