Juniperus communis (berkshire common juniper)

Juniperus communis L.

Berkshire common juniper, common juniper, ground juniper

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Coniferophyta	Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs)
Class	Pinopsida	Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews
Order	Pinales	Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others
Family	Cupressaceae	Cypres family, including junipers and redwoods
Genus	Juniperus	Latin for “juniper”
Species	communis	Latin for “common, general,” means growing in communities

About plant names...

Common juniper is native to North America, Europe, and Asia.

Identification: Juniper is a woody shrub less than 13' (4 m) high, or small tree, rarely reaching 33' (10 m). Its multiple stems tend to be gnarled and uneven, sometimes lying almost flat. Needles are gray-green to blue-green in color, sometimes appearing silvery. Cones are roughly spherical in shape, ¼-½" (8.4-12 mm) in diameter, blue-black, with a waxy sheen.

Juniper berries (or cones), from Yellowstone National Park. Photographer is unknown.

From Thomé, Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm, Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz., 1885.

Online References:

Juniperus communis on Earl J.S. Rook's Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky ... The Natural History of the Northwoods

Juniperus communis on The Gymnosperm Database

Juniperus communis on Wikipedia

Juniperus communis on The Gymnosperm Database

Juniperus communis at the University of Connecticut Plant Database

Juniperus communis at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Juniperus communis on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Juniperus communis at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Juniperus communis on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA
≈ 20 × 16" (49 × 40 cm)

Juniperus communis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

9/29/2013 · North Bubble Hike, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
≈ 31 × 21" (79 × 53 cm)

9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, ME
≈ 7 × 10" (16 × 25 cm)

8/26/2017 · Skatutakee Mountain, Hancock, NH
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, ME
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

4/3/2010 · Mt. Battie (Elev. 780'), Camden, ME
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm)

9/28/2013 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, ME
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 22 cm)

9/16/2016 · Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail, Bar Harbor, ME

Range:

About this map...