Alligator Warning!

Did I scare ya? No? Darn.

This is part of the trunk of an Alligator Juniper tree. It's pretty obvious how it got it's name. Just look at it's bark. Pretty amazing looking.

Take a closer look.

It's native habitat is in the mountains of southeastern Arizona. It's a dioecious evergreen that produces pollen or seed cones that are only 1/2 inch in diameter.

These trees are huge. They can grow to a height of fifty feet and often have large branches like these shooting from different directions.

They are really unique and gorgeous trees. I found this one in the Coronado National Forest on a drive up into the Santa Rita Mountains.

Remember, I'm not a really good treeolobiologist but I can recognize these now. I did have to ask someone the first time I photographed one about a year ago, though.

So I've got two southern Arizona trees memorized. I feel proud.