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The area around Sedona has various names, the most easiest to remember being 'the high desert'. It's very much a transition area, in between the desert 'wash' trees that you see hints of as you drive toward Phoenix, and the highland forest trees as you get into the upper Oak Creek area toward Flagstaff. Here, if you see a tree above the Oak Creek drainage, most likely it's either a juniper (cedar) or a pinon (pine). Down in the washes maybe Arizona Cypress. And near the creek area, cottonwood (poplar-type leaf) or sycamore (BIG white trunk; big fingered leaves). And if you're a observant hiker in the canyon, the autumn red leaves of the canyon maple.
BEST BOOK:
Peterson's Western Trees by George Petrides 1998
UTAH JUNIPER (juniperus osteosperma) There are three main kinds here: Utah, Alligator and One-Seed, all 10-15ft tall.
Alligator's the most obvious by its alligator-like bark (and large jaws!). And One-Seed's berry is a bit different from the Utah. Utah is by far the most common here. All have a scaly-leaf with a pea-size fruit.
ARIZONA SYCAMORE (platunus wrightii) In this area, grows right next to Oak Creek. Large up to 80ft (that's 8 stories!). Smooth large white trunk. Heavily lobed leaves that turn a golden yellow in the fall.
Swinging 'buttonballs' remain on trees until spring as seed. The sycamore of the Bible not related: a fig-type.
PINON PINE (pinus edulus) By and large the short trees are juniper; the sort-of tall ones are pinon (up to 35ft)! Needles yellow-green, two-bundled. Cone is squat and thick.
Pinon nuts collected by animals and native-americans. Resin also used for sealant and glue in turquoise jewelry. Very slow growing tree but quite drought resistent.
FREMONT COTTONWOOD (populus fremontii) Slurps up water big-time, thus always near creeks. Comes in separate male/female varieties. The female has the seeds covered in 'cotton'. Reaches up to 90ft tall.
Early pioneers knew water was near when sighting the large cottonwoods in the distance.
ARIZONA CYPRESS (cupressus arizonica) Grows just above washes and usually quite large (30-40ft). Scale-like leaves similar to juniper but dark 1" globular cones.
Bark reddish brown; fibrous/scaly when older. Local developers like them due to comparable fast-growth. But many dead from bark-beetles.
CATCLAW ACACIA (acacia gregii) Single curved trunks with very small grey-green leaves.
Paired thorns allow identifying the acasia mimosa which has none. Often called 'frito' due to fruit long and twisted like the chip. Honeybees love the flower (pale yellow caterpillar shaped) nectar. Can live to over 100 yrs. Native-americans used to collect seeds; ground into meal and eaten as mush or cakes.
Copyright ©, 2006, dmbarnhart
