Hard to pick out a favorite tree in these parts. I could have gone with the Cottonwood I got married under or the massive White Oak that dominates one of the turns on Highway 83, but here is my pick. It is an Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeana), approximately 25′ tall and about that wide. It is nice when trees tie to experiences. I get to see this one on walks in a canyon on the west side of the Huachuca Mountains.
There are two types of junipers in our area: Alligator and One Seed Juniper. Alligators have rough bark that looks like, well, it looks like alligator skin. This one is big for an Alligator with a trunk circumference of just over 8′. Years ago, I worked out a formula that calculates about 15- 20 years for every 1″ of trunk radius. That would make this tree around 260 years old. Age limits for Alligator Juniper are believed to be 500-800 years. This one was in the prime of its life.
By now some of the more astute readers might be thinking, “Hey Jim, Did you swaller some of those Dumbassian pills again? This sucker is graveyard dead.” You are correct, and I don’t care. I like this tree because it makes me think. Judging from the condition of the bark, I would guess that it has been dead for at least 10 -20 years. Might have been killed in the drought of 2002, or maybe the drought about 10 years later. It was already dead by this year’s drought.
If you see a pattern here, you are correct. Drought probably had a big effect in the death of this tree. I recently read a report from a climatologist that made the case that this period from the mid-1990s to the present day might be the driest the Southwest has seen since the 1200s.
More than one person I have shared this tree with has exclaimed, “It’s a dinosaur!” Its stature could be called “dinosaur,” but the branching pattern reminds me more of Pleistocene megafauna. Specifically, Eucladoceros, a Brush-Antlered Deer from the Ice Age. (Look it up.) In the center and a little to the left, four of the branches (antlers) have been cut off. They are about 12 feet above ground. Looks like they were cut off with a hand saw. The height is worth noting. Trees extend their growth from the top upward, not from the bottom up. Let’s say someone carved “Cooter and Becky Forever” on a tree trunk 4′ above ground. You pass by that tree 20 years later. Cooter and Becky may, or may not, have lasted “forever”, but that carving is still going to be just 4′ above ground. In my mind, I can see some cowboy, standing with a saw, on the back of a horse, reaching up to cut those limbs. They still could be corral or gate posts today.
In some parts of the state, junipers are considered invasive and are removed on a large scale. That isn’t a problem here yet. Junipers need winter moisture. We have had precious little of that this year. I have already seen many top-killed Alligator Junipers this spring, and it hasn’t gotten hot yet. Maybe that is why I am sympathetic to this species right now.
However, I am aware that someday, hopefully not too soon, the base of this great tree will start to decay. It will take its last bow, and with a great gust of wind, it will fall. I will miss it but…then I won’t have to stand on the back of a horse to cut it up for firewood. Something to think about.
Editor’s note: Jim’s latest book is “Sonoran Desert Plant ID For Everyone.” When not pondering dead trees, he can be found playing mandolin at local watering holes in the Sonoita Patagonia area, including The Cafe in Sonoita every Friday night. Jim can be reached at 520-455-5780, or by email at jim@azreveg.com.
Previously in Great Trees of Eastern Santa Cruz County:
“The Leaning Pine of Duquesne” by Bekki Jaynes
“The Hollow Tree of Harshaw Townsite” by Cassina Farley
“The Mexican Blue Oak of Sonoita Creek” by Vince Pinto
Do you know a great tree? Share it with us! Submit photos (or artwork!) and text about your favorite tree to prtadast@gmail.com. It can be any tree on public or private property in Eastern Santa Cruz County. (You don’t have to disclose the tree’s exact location unless you want to.) Tell us what makes the tree great: maybe it’s the tree’s size, shape or age; or its leaf color; or the animals and insects who inhabit it; or the special events or family traditions associated with it; or perhaps something more personal. Whatever it is, share it with us. Let’s celebrate our area’s natural splendor and heritage!