cedar/cypress/juniper (?) identification - Ask Extension
Hello,I have two small trees/bushes (18" & 36" tall) that I am having a hard time identifying. I dug both of them up on my property about 18 mon...
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cedar/cypress/juniper (?) identification #453057
Asked May 10, 2018, 10:23 AM EDT
Hello,
I have two small trees/bushes (18" & 36" tall) that I am having a hard time identifying. I dug both of them up on my property about 18 months ago when they were 3" tall, and placed them in pots. At first, I assumed that they were cedars or junipers, as I have several on my property, but they don't look like anything on my property -- and they may not be the same type of tree. One has grown much faster than the other -- see first picture -- but the needles look about the same. I want to know what they are so I can figure out the best place to plant them. I have attached pictures which I hope helps. They may not be native to this area!
I have two small trees/bushes (18" & 36" tall) that I am having a hard time identifying. I dug both of them up on my property about 18 months ago when they were 3" tall, and placed them in pots. At first, I assumed that they were cedars or junipers, as I have several on my property, but they don't look like anything on my property -- and they may not be the same type of tree. One has grown much faster than the other -- see first picture -- but the needles look about the same. I want to know what they are so I can figure out the best place to plant them. I have attached pictures which I hope helps. They may not be native to this area!
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
The pictures look like juvenile western juniper. It is often called western cedar but it is in fact a juniper. Juniperus monosperma. The young plants have needle like leaves that become scale like as the tree matures. These are very common bushy trees in the western USA.
