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Native Plant Society of Texas

Oneseed Juniper

Juniperus monosperma

Other common name(s):

One-seed Juniper, Cherrystone Juniper, New Mexico Juniper, West Texas Juniper

Family:

Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Chihuahuan Deserts, High Plains, Southwestern Tablelands
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

6
to
20
ft.

Spread

6
to
20
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Dry, Gravelly, Sand

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Orange

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Berry, Forage, Nesting Material

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Browsers, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Slow growing, rugged, and easy to care for. Very cold hardy and drought tolerant juniper. A pioneer species that grows well in disturbed sites. Susceptible to mistletoe (prune it out). It can be pruned to a single trunk, but is most interesting in its wild form. Makes a good windbreak. Junipers are readily transplanted when young. Their ornamental shapes and evergreen foliage add visual interest to the garden. Native habitat: rocky ledges, arroyos, dry hills, plains, and plateaus, often mixed with ponderosa and pinyon pines and other Juniper species.

Description

Blooms March-April. One-seed juniper is a large shrub or small tree, with a gnarled, multi-trunked appearance in the wild. Bark is thin, scaly and ashy. Fragrant foliage is scale-like on mature twigs; needle-like on young shoots and seedlings. Bluish-black to copper-colored fruits occur on the female plants.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Juniperus occidentalis var. gymnocarpa, Sabina monosperma

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUMO, 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Juniperus+monosperma&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=8235&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg 316. 6) Miller George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd ed, pg 48. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=194853#null, 8) https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2006/Planting-Junipers-for-Wildlife#:~:text=Not%20only%20do%20native%20junipers,nests%20deep%20inside%20these%20conifers., 9) https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/junmon/all.html#:~:text=Seed%20dispersal:%20Dispersal%20of%20oneseed,to%20bird%20dispersal%20%5B30%5D.

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Stem Cutting One-seed juniper is propagated through cutting, best done at 20-30°C except in winter. Select robust new branches, cut 5-15 cm long with over 3 buds. The top cut should be level, 1 cm from the first bud, and the bottom cut should be oblique, 0.5 cm from the last bud. 1) https://www.picturethisai.com/wiki/Juniperus_monosperma.html#:~:text=Care%20Guide%20for%20One%2Dseed%20juniper&text=Water:%20Immediately%20after%20planting%2C%20water,cm%20from%20the%20last%20bud. 2) https://practicalplants.org/wiki/juniperus_monosperma/#:~:text=The%20seed%20requires%20a%20period,page%20to%20add%20your%20knowledge.
Seed Stratification The seed has a hard seedcoat and can be very slow to germinate, requiring a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each of 2 - 3 months duration. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some might germinate in the following spring, though most will take another year. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seedcoat has hardened). The seedlings can be potted up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on in pots until large enough, then plant out in early summer. When stored dry, the seed can remain viable for several years. https://practicalplants.org/wiki/juniperus_monosperma/#:~:text=The%20seed%20requires%20a%20period,page%20to%20add%20your%20knowledge.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason