These trees represent some of the older One-seed Junipers in Palo Duro Canyon


This tree on a steep slope probably grew at about 30
years per radial inch.  It would then be 240 years old.



The shrub-looking juniper in the foreground is actually the crown of this reclining
juniper.  Based on about 25 years per inch radial growth this one should be about
235 years old.



With about 28 years per radial inch this massive trunked
juniper should be about 350 years old.



This juniper is composed of four trunks, a dead horizontal one on the left ground, a horizontal
trunk growing out over the bluff on the left, the large trunk leaning at at 10 oclock, and the massive
short trunk leaning at 2 oclock.  If the tree added an inch radially every 30 years (poor soil),
the 10 oclock trunk by itself would be 330 years old.  If it grew  faster than average at 25 years
per inch, that trunk would still be 275 years old.  Probably the two leftmost trunks grew prior
to the bluff's eroding close to the tree, tilting it to the left.  The 10 oclock trunk was then probably
vertical and took over most of the growth, then began to lean over the bluff itself. So if the
trunks did not grow equally contemporaniously, the tree is probably much older.



The enormous trunk on this short tree makes it very old.
There appear to be three stages of growth.  In this photo
the youngest and most vertical portion of the trunk is in the
foreground.  As can be seen, that portion of the crown is
also the youngest looking.  The picture below shows the
other components of the trunk better.


Here in the background you can see the middle-aged trunk pointing at 10 oclock.  The
first and oldest part of the trunk now is horizontal pointing at 9 oclock.  Up close, these
three trunks are definitely one single trunk with a very contorted growth of the bark.
Using 25 or 30 years per inch of radial growth this tree should be 350 or 420 years
old.



This old snag is impressive close up.  It is firmly set
in the ground and its wood still very hard.  Based on the
average local growth rate of 28 years per inch of radial
growth, it should have died at about 210 years.  How
long has it been dead?  Since there are no side branches
left it looks like it has been standing dead at least 50 years.
That would put its birth about 260 years ago.