Juniper

My new favorite from my Great Basin inspiration mostly because of the colors. Last year the berries on the juniper almost outnumbered the needles! Juniper is one of the most abundant and widely scattered trees in Great Basin National Park. It is typically found growing among pinyon and sagebrush. They are very hearty and can live to be 650 years old. Juniper berries are the female seed cone (not a true berry) with unusually fleshy and merged scales making it look like a berry. The berries can be dried and made into beads for jewelry and are also deliciously eaten by jackrabbits, foxes, coyotes and people. This artwork was produced under the Darwin Lambert Artist in Residence Program at Great Basin National Park.