Juniperus communis var. saxatilis

Mountain juniper, Mountain Juniper

Family: Cupressaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Mountain juniper is a native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Warner Mountains in rocky areas at elevations of 600 to 2,400 meters. Unlike typical upright junipers, this variety spreads in a distinctive mat-like form, occasionally growing more erect. Its needle-like leaves are blue-green with a distinctive glaucous stomatal band that is twice as wide as the green leaf margin, typically 5 to 10 millimeters long. The shrub forms spheric seed cones containing 1 to 3 seeds, creating a compact and resilient growth pattern. Its spreading, often prostrate habit makes it well-adapted to challenging rocky mountain environments.

Habitat: Rocky areas

Elevation: 600-2400 m

Bioregions: KR, SNH, Wrn

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