Juniperus communis var. depressa

Depressed juniper, Depressed Juniper

Family: Cupressaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Depressed juniper is a native shrub found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on rocky soil, slopes, and summits at elevations below 2,800 meters. This conifer produces distinctive blue-green berries that serve as seed cones 6 to 9 millimeters long. Growing low and occasionally spreading, it forms compact shrubs with dense branches. Its needle-like leaves feature a glaucous stomatal band approximately one to one and a half times wider than the green leaf margin, creating a distinctive bluish-green appearance. The plant produces three seeds per cone, adapting well to challenging high-elevation mountain environments.

Habitat: Rocky soil, slopes, summits

Elevation: < 2800 m

Bioregions: SNH

California counties: Mono, Tuolumne

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.