COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Bringing the University to You Special Publication 06-05 NATIVE AND NATURALIZED CONIFERS OF NEVADA A CHECKLIST AND DESCRIPTION Wayne S Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Resource Economics, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources; Urban Forestry Specialist, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Sue Strom, Urban Forestry Program Assistant, University of Nevada, Reno Patricia Rowley, Urban Forestry Volunteer Development Coordinator, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Taylor Nelson, Research Assistant, University of Nevada, Reno This checklist is offered to increase year. With much adaptability among species, awareness of native and naturalized conifers some conifers can survive in very low present in Nevada. Native conifers are those precipitation zones. However, most plantings found growing naturally in Nevada. require supplemental irrigation during and after Naturalized conifers are those introduced into establishment for best tree performance in a Nevada that are reproducing without human landscape. assistance in natural environs. They grow Junipers and the subalpine pines tolerate a above valleys on steppe or mountain slopes, wider range of soil salts than other conifers but many of these trees can be grown in urban found in Nevada. The alpine conifers prefer and community forests throughout Nevada. acid soils, but with few exceptions will grow in This is particularly so when large parks, travel soils with a pH less than pH 8. Most of the rest and utility corridors, and other areas are being tolerate the moderate alkaline soils in Nevada. restored or left “natural.” Native and naturalized plant species, such With few exceptions, when planting native as conifers, are important to all forms of life, and naturalized conifers, the site should mimic including vertebrates (large and small the natural environment of the species as mammals, birds, and fish) and invertebrates closely as possible. Choosing the appropriate (insects, worms, mollusks, and others). tree to mature in a landscape is important for Most of these trees will grow too large to be long term success. Soil conditions, moisture used in small and moderate yards or availability, and exposure are key components landscapes. They would be best used in of natural and constructed sites. Conifers parks, green belts, recreational facilities, and require well-drained soils; they decline and die along freeways. in wet soils. In nature, they develop extensive Tree is defined as a woody perennial with root systems that adapt to winter moisture and typically one main stem that grows to a mature periodic precipitation during the rest of the height of at least 15 feet. 90 Tree Name Nevada Location Habitat Average Size Comments Cypress Family – Cupressaceae Incense-cedar grows in many soils and western climates as a Found in the Carson narrow, pyramidal tree. Its scale This tree grows from Range of the Sierra leaves form flat sprays of rich 4,500 to 7,800 ft. in Nevada, Washoe, Carson yellow-green, aromatic foliage. Incense-cedar mixed coniferous forests Height: 75 to 90 ft. City, and Douglas The deeply, irregularly furrowed Calocedrus decurrens within canyons and Spread: 10 to 20 ft. counties and on Peavine bark is reddish brown. When hollows; also near Lake Mountain, Washoe open, its small cones look like a Tahoe’s shore. County. duck’s bill. The red heartwood is aromatic, rot resistant and is used in cedar chests. The pyramidal Arizona Smooth Cypress has silvery, blue-green foliage with rough, red or brown Arizona Smooth Cypress It occupies dry, rocky to gray, exfoliating, patterned Cupressus arizonica Grows in the Virgin slopes and canyon walls Height: 16 to 40 ft. bark. The seed cones are small, var. glabra Mountains, Clark County. often growing with oaks, Spread: up to 20 ft. round to oval, and dull gray to from 4,600 to 6,800 ft. brown. The few nonnative trees Naturalized found in the Virgin Mountains most likely naturalized from a homestead in Cabin Canyon. A low growing, multi-stemmed, Inhabits dry slopes and shrubby tree, California Juniper Located in the Newberry flats, often growing with has yellowish to bright green California Juniper Mountains, in the extreme Height: 3 to 20 ft. piñons, junipers and foliage with bright blue, berry-like Juniperus californica southern portion of Clark Spread: up to 20 ft. yuccas, from 2,500 to cones that turn brown, hard, and County. 3,600 ft. are one- to two-seeded. This native conifer is rare in Nevada. Incense Cedar Arizona Smooth Cypress Arizona Smooth Cypress has a pyramidal shape with red to brown to gray bark. Bark is uniquely red, brown and gray patterned. Round, grayish brown seed cones grow amongst blue- green foliage. Incense-cedar is pyramidal in shape with sprays of yellow-green foliage and deeply furrowed bark. Its small cone resembles a duck’s bill when open. California Juniper The California Juniper is low growing and multi-stemmed. With age, the bark turns gray and may peel off in loose strips. Bright blue, berry-like cones grow among the yellowish green foliage. California Juniper photos: ©2005, Michael L. Charters www.calflora.net, 4/12/06. Tree Name Nevada Location Habitat Average Size Comments Cypress Family – Cupressaceae Grows in subalpine In Nevada, Common Juniper forests of eastern grows as a shrub, forming a mat Found in Clark, Elko, Nevada on rocky, with bright green, sharp-pointed, Common Juniper Height: 3 ft. or less. Eureka, and White Pine exposed slopes and in awl-like foliage, with a white Juniperus communis Spread: 4 to 10 ft. counties. mixed coniferous forests center stripe. It has red-brown of the Spring Mountains, bark, and blue to black, berry-like from 6,800 to 11,200 ft. cones with one to three seeds. Very rare in Nevada, it has been found in Robinson Oneseed Juniper is a slow Occurs in piñon-juniper Canyon, White Pine growing, shrubby tree with dry, woodlands on dry, Oneseed Juniper County. Growing in Height: 10 to 30 ft. shedding bark. It has yellow- exposed slopes in rocky Juniperus monosperma Arizona and Utah, along Spread: 10 to 30 ft. green, scale-like leaves and soil, from 3,000 to 5,500 the Nevada border, it may produces small, dusty blue, berry- ft. have spread into Clark like cones with one seed. County. The long-lived Sierra and Western Junipers have gray- Sierra Juniper Found in high Grows in Churchill, green, scaly, fragrant leaves with Juniperus occidentalis sagebrush, steppe or Douglas, Elko, Eureka, two- to three-seeded, dusty blue, var. australis mountain brush Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Height: 20 to 65 ft. berry-like cones. Their trunks are communities, from 4,100 Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Spread: 30 to 50 ft. massive size. The two varieties Western Juniper to 10,000 ft. Tolerates Storey, and Washoe are found growing together in J. o. var. occidentalis dry, well-drained, rocky counties. Nevada. Sierra Juniper has soils. reddish brown bark and Western Juniper has gray bark. Common Juniper Oneseed Juniper Common Juniper grows as a mat-forming shrub in Nevada with green, needle-like foliage that has a white center stripe. It has blue to black berry-like cones. Common Juniper Photos: Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Image 1215011 & 1213003, www.forestryimages.org, 12/8/05. Oneseed Juniper has dry, furrowed Sierra and Western Junipers bark that scales in long strips, yellow-green, scale-like leaves, and Long-lived Sierra dusty blue, berry-like cones. and Western Junipers have fragrant foliage, blue, berry-like cones, and large trunks. The Western Juniper pictured to the left has gray bark. 4/18/06. 4/18/06. , ov g lants.usda. p Susan McDougall @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Database, PLANTS @ USDA-NRCS Susan McDougall www. Tree Name Nevada Location Habitat Average Size Comments Cypress Family – Cupressaceae Grows in all but the Utah Juniper is extremely hardy highest elevations of and is resistant to drought and piñon-juniper insect pests. A rounded shrub or The most widespread of woodlands. It forms tree, it has stiff, coarse, yellow- all the Nevada conifers, it pure stands at altitudes green foliage that has a pungent occurs in all 17 Nevada Utah Juniper below piñon-juniper Height: 4 to 30 ft. odor when crushed. Its large, counties, but is absent Juniperus osteosperma communities and grows Spread: 10 to 30 ft. berry-like cones are dusty blue, from mountain ranges in elsewhere as a single turning brown and hard with one northwestern and north- tree above the desert, to two seeds. Gray-brown, central Nevada. from 2,500 to 9,200 ft. exfoliating (thin strips) bark ages Tolerates dry, well- to ash white. It is used for drained soils. firewood and fence posts. Rocky Mountain and Utah Junipers are called “cedars” due to their aroma and deep red Grows along stream heartwood. Rocky Mountain banks and ridges and in Juniper has gray-green foliage Found across eastern dry, rocky canyons with and small, berry-like, frosted blue Nevada from the Jarbidge pines from 5,200 to cones with two seeds. Grown in Mountains to the 9,200 ft. A unique Rocky Mountain Juniper Height: 26 to 40 ft. the sun, it forms a broad, Charleston Mountains, population, possibly a Juniperus scopulorum Spread: 10 to 20 ft. pyramidal tree. In shade, it including Elko, Eureka, subgroup, called swamp produces sparse, infrequent White Pine, Lincoln, Nye, cedar is found in Spring branches. It has gray, shedding and Clark counties. Valley, White Pine bark on its trunk and limbs. Its County. Does well in dry wood is often used for fence sites with good drainage. posts and to line cedar chests. Many ornamental cultivars are available. Utah Juniper Rocky Mountain Juniper Hardy Utah Juniper forms a rounded shrub or tree. It has shreddy, gray-brown bark and yellow-green foliage.