Juniperus californica

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iJuniperus californica

California juniper in Joshua Tree National Park, California

Conservation status

Least concern (LR/lc)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Cupressaceae
Genus:	Juniperus
Species:	J. californica

Binomial name

Juniperus californica
Carr.

Juniperus californica (California Juniper) is a species of juniper native to southwestern North America; as the name implies, it is mainly found in California, but also extends through most of Baja California Norte, and a short distance into southern Nevada and western Arizona. It grows at moderate altitudes of 750-1,600 m.

It is a shrub or small tree reaching 3-8 m (rarely to 10 m) tall. The shoots are fairly thick compared to most junipers, 1.5-2 mm diameter. The leaves are arranged in opposite decussate pairs or whorls of three; the adult leaves are scale-like, 1-2 mm long (to 5 mm on lead shoots) and 1-1.5 mm broad. The juvenile leaves (on young seedlings only) are needle-like, 5-10 mm long. The cones are berry-like, 7-13 mm in diameter, blue-brown with a whitish waxy bloom, and contain a single seed (rarely two or three); they are mature in about 8-9 months. The male cones are 2-4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring. It is largely dioecious producing cones of only one sex, but around 2% of plants are monoecious, with both sexes on the same plant.

It is closely related to Juniperus osteosperma (Utah Juniper) from further east, which shares the stout shoots and relatively large cones, but that species differs in being largely monoecious, and in the cones taking longer to mature (two growing seasons); Utah Juniper is also markedly more cold-tolerant.

California Juniper is becoming a popular species for bonsai; it is also valued in dry areas as a garden plant for its heat and drought tolerance.