| Ash juniper is an evergreen shrub or small tree which extends under thirty feet in height. It has low branches and a twisted trunk. It grows on limestone hills in the Edwards Plateau. Fruit appears from August to September. The wood is used for posts, fuel and furniture. Birds use the tree for cover and animals (goats and deer) browse the plant on occasion. The mature bark is used by the endangered golden cheeked warbler for nest material. This plant also resists cedar-apple rust. This is the plant which contributes to the cedar pollen which so many people are allergic to. Ashe juniper rapidly reinvades disturbed areas but can be managed using prescribed fires during either the winter or summer. The tree produces a number of chemical compounds that limit both grazing and the susceptibility to fire. |
