Tree Description:
A tall, straight, evergreen tree with a conical crown, to 90 feet tall and a trunk to 2 feet in diameter, with distinctly blue-gray foliage.
Range/Site Description:
Native in Texas only to the high, protected canyons of the Chisos mountains in Big Bend National Park, but it is planted widely in desert landscapes and other very well-drained sites east to Austin.
Leaf:
The scale-like leaves are blue-green, with a whitish "bloom" that gives the overall impression of blue or gray foliage.
Flower:
Small cones of both sexes are borne on the tips of the branches in spring.
Fruit:
A round, woody cone, about 1" across, with flattened scales separating slightly. Persisting on the twigs for several years.
Bark:
Smooth and red-brown, developing thin, papery scales as the tree ages, which peel away from the trunk to reveal new bark beneath. Older bark is fibrous and light brown.
Wood:
May have been used locally for timbers and fenceposts; sold as a landscape tree in nurseries and is highly valued as a windbreak tree and a Christmas tree.
Similar Species:
Tamarisks (Tamarix spp.) are riparian invasive exotic species in West Texas.
Interesting Facts:
Trees in Big Bend are thought to be a remnant from a time when the climate in Texas was cooler and wetter.
