Juniperus Deppeana

Alligator juniper is a rugged evergreen tree of the mountains of Mexico and the south-western United States. Mature trunks develop distinctive square plates of dark bark separated by pale fissures, creating the reptile-skin pattern behind the common name. The irregular crown carries blue-green scale foliage and berry-like cones that mature to reddish brown or blue-black. Exceptionally tolerant of drought, heat and poor rocky soil, Juniperus deppeana can live for centuries and becomes a characterful specimen for a spacious dry garden or specialist conifer collection.