Alligator Juniper, Checkerbark Juniper Juniperus deppeana

Detailed Listing For
Botanical Name:

Juniperus deppeana

Family:

Cupressaceae

Genus:

Juniperus

Species:

deppeana

Common Name:

Alligator Juniper, Checkerbark Juniper

Height:
40-60 feet
Minimum Hardiness Zone:
8

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  • Juniperus deppeana

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Growing Info, follow in order:
Scarification: Soak in hot tap water, let stand in water for 6 hours.
Stratification: cold stratify for 60 days.
Germination: sow seed 1/4" deep, tamp the soil, mulch the seed bed.
In a Nutshell:
* Juniperus deppeana (Alligator Juniper or Checkerbark Juniper; Native American names include táscate and tláscal) is a small to medium-sized tree reaching 10–15 m (rarely to 25 m) tall. It is native to central and northern Mexico (from Oaxaca northward) and the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas). It grows at moderate altitudes of 750–2,700 meters (2,460–8,860 ft) on dry soils. more...
* The bark is usually very distinctive, unlike other junipers, hard, dark gray-brown, cracked into small square plates superficially resembling Alligator skin, it is however sometimes like other junipers, with stringy vertical fissuring. more...


The fruit is eaten raw or cooked. A dry and mealy texture but with a sweet and palatable taste. The fruit can also be dried, ground into a meal and prepared as a mush or cakes. The fruit has a sweetish palatable pulp and is about 15mm in diameter. more...
* The cones take 2 years to mature. more...
Physical Characteristics  Juniperus deppeana is an evergreen Tree growing to 18 m (59ft 1in) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Feb to March, and the seeds ripen from Oct to November. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Wind.The plant is not self-fertile. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
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Usda description:
More info on http://plants.usda.gov