Juniperus communis (Low Juniper) - photos and description
Female cones are berry-like and turn from green to blue in their
second year
Male cones in above photo
Leaves in whorls of three
Top of leaves are white
General: Low, evergreen shrub with prickly leaves.
Flowers: Male and female cones grow on separate plants. The female cones resemble berries, the male cones resemble catkins. Male flowers measured to 3 mm long, female flowers to 6 mm long.
Leaves: Leaves are light green below and white in colour with a shallow groove above, sharply pointed, awl-shaped, and grow in whorls of three. We measured a leaf at 12 mm long by 1 mm wide.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 1.5 m, we measured plants to 60 cm tall, stems to 99 cm long.
Habitat: Light, rocky soil.
Abundance: Common.
Origin: Native.
When and where photographed: The above photos were taken June 28th, prairie hillside in the Big Muddy, about 175 km southwest of our home in Regina, SK.