Juniper Tree:
A quintessential desert scene unfolds with a gnarled Juniper tree gracing a stark and forbidding landscape. In the American Southwest, locals often colloquially refer to juniper trees as cedars, a linguistic nuance reflected in town names like Cedar City, Utah, Cedaridge, Colorado, or Cedar Springs, Nevada. The origins of this misnomer remain unknown; perhaps early settlers linked the overlapping, scale-like leaves, the shredded bark appearance, or the reddish wood of junipers to the characteristics of true cedars. Alternatively, the nomenclature might simply boil down to the appeal of a name like Juniper City, Utah, lacking the resonance found in its cedar counterpart.
An old gnarled Juniper Tree, with West Mitten Butte on the horizon. Monument Valley, Arizona.