Western Juniper (Juniperus Occidentalis)

Cupressaceae common juniper and common juniper Juniperus communis var. jackii stomatal bloom on the top of the needles and western juniper in “berry” cones typify this species the only naturally prostrate conifer in our northwest California region is easy to miss while hiking

Oregon

extinct Smith River River Klamath Yreka Crescent Happy City Camp

S K c lam o t a t t h R

R i v i e v e r r R Bark: thin, reddish, and shreddy Needles: ¼”, dark green but sometimes with a e d w reddish tint, growing in whorls of 3 around each stem; pronounced stomatal o o bloom on upper surface, short and curved Cones: Dioecious, ¼” diameter, berry- d

C like, fleshy, bluish-black ripening to a glaucous blue-black, fleshiness due to r e e k underdevelopment in cone. Habitat: severely exposed areas; generally on serpentine sometimes on granite with elevation

Willow Creek Cupressaceae T rin ity S western juniper Juniperus occidentalis Eureka Ri a ver c r a m in open country of the eastern Klamath,

e Redding n western junipers are common Ee M t

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r i i v v e fleshy cones, resin dots r e r make this species unique Hayfork N

Pacific 20 miles Ocean

western juniper common juniper

Range* of Juniperus communis and Juniperus Bark: gray-brown to reddish-brown, peeling to linear strips with shallow fissures occidentalis in Northwest California and flattened ridges Needles: <3 mm, scale-like, distinct resin dots, needles * based on Griffin and Critchfield (1976) and personal observation rounded in older growth, pointed in new growth, dark green to greenish-gray Cones: both monoecious or dioecious, berry-like, fleshy, resinous, bluish-gray, glaucous, maturing in two years to ¼” diameter Habitat: dry, expanding, less than fifteen inches of rain per year, 0-9000 ft.Range : Scott Valley and Greenhorn www.conifercountry.com Mountains in Klamath Mountains east through Modoc County and into Great Basin of eastern Oregon

20 miles