Continuing with the amazing trees of Colorado, ArborNote’s Tree of the Week is the Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma). Our fearless leader, Hank Ortiz, saw this Utah Juniper at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs! The species is native to the southwestern United States, in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, western New Mexico, western Colorado, Wyoming, southern Montana, southern Idaho and eastern California. It grows at moderate altitudes of 4,300–8,500 ft, on dry soils. Utah juniper is usually a bushy tree in appearance, with a rounded crown and a trunk that is many-forked or occasionally with a central dominant trunk. It has an extensive root system that enables it to vigorously compete for moisture. Mature trees are usually less than 30 feet high. Utah juniper can live to be 650 years old. These trees rely on animals (mainly the black-tailed jackrabbit, rodents, and coyotes) to disperse their seeds. Native Americans such as the Havasupai used the bark for a variety of purposes, including beds, and ate the cones both fresh and in cakes. They also used the gum to make a protective covering over wounds. The Navajo sweep their tracks with boughs from the trees so death will not follow them. A small quantity of ripe berries can be eaten as an emergency food or as a sage-like seasoning for meat. The dried berries can be roasted and ground into a coffee substitute!