Trees

On our way back from northern Arizona, we became curious about the different plants found at different altitudes in the mountains.  Posted along the road, this altitude difference soon drew our attention to a particular kind of tree that speckled the landscape around about the 6,000-foot mark.  At a rest stop, we were able to examine one closely and speculated that it might be some sort of stunted Juniper, its smell and berries being very reminiscent thereof.  They all seemed to grow to about the same 6-8 foot height.

Never one to ignore a challenge, Reg used my email account to query the National Park Service about it, specifically since we saw great numbers alongside the road in the Poconino National Forest.  To our surprise and delight, Lynn Bleeker, an Information Assistant at the Flagstaff Ranger District took the trouble to reply to us and confirm that they were indeed Junipers!  How nice!  Now we know.  She also included a link: http://www.arizonatourism.com/blog/largest-stand-ponderosa-pines which confirms that Ponderosa Pines are the big hit in the area.