Juniperus communis
Common juniper, Common Juniper
(c) Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Cupressaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Juniperus communis (Common juniper) is a native California shrub in the Cupressaceae family, recognized by found in Los Angeles, Del Norte, and Siskiyou counties with no sympatric species.
Common juniper is a native shrub found in various mountain and alpine regions, often growing in rocky or open woodland habitats. Flowering during spring and summer, this plant produces small axillary pollen and seed cones with the female cones maturing from green to a distinctive bright blue or black color. Growing as a low, generally prostrate shrub less than one meter tall, it develops a characteristic brown bark that peels in papery sheets. Its leaves grow in distinctive whorls of three, appearing as short, awl-like needles that are suberect or spreading and arranged in a six-ranked pattern. The plant produces ovoid seeds two to five millimeters long that are generally three-angled, contributing to its unique botanical profile.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; found in Los Angeles, Del Norte, and Siskiyou counties with no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Plumas, Mono, Nevada, El Dorado, Alpine, Sierra, Placer, Trinity, Tuolumne, Modoc, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Shasta, Humboldt
How to tell it apart
vs Hesperocyparis: Juniper has fleshy berry-like cones; Hesperocyparis has woody round cones with shield-shaped scales.; vs Pinus: Juniper needles are single or in whorls of 3; pine needles come bundled in groups of 2-5 with papery sheaths.; vs Calocedrus: Juniper has berry-like cones; Calocedrus has elongated woody cones with flattened, scale-like sprays.; vs Cupressus: Juniper has berry-like cones; Cupressus has round woody cones with shield-shaped scales.; vs Salvia: Juniper is woody with evergreen needles or scales; Salvia is herbaceous with opposite aromatic leaves and lipped flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Juniperus communis native to California?
Yes. Juniperus communis is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Juniperus communis grow?
Juniperus communis occurs in Los Angeles, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Plumas, Mono, Nevada, El Dorado, Alpine and other counties.
What plant family does Juniperus communis belong to?
Juniperus communis is in the Cupressaceae family, genus Juniperus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.