Western Juniper

You identify western juniper by its gnarled, contorted form on dry, rocky ridges from British Columbia to California, where it marks the threshold of timber line. Its bark is reddish-brown and peels in stringy fibers characteristic of junipers. Its scale-like leaves, arranged in opposite pairs forming four rows, are gray-green with a resin gland visible on each, and its blue-black berries ripen over two years, providing winter food for wildlife.

Western juniper thrives on rocky, well-drained soils with extreme drought tolerance; it has roots reaching 12 inches or deeper that tap into bedrock moisture and allow survival in arid sites. In the Puget Sound lowlands, it struggles in heavy soils and high humidity; reserve it for eastern Washington and Oregon sites. Growth is extremely slow, with mature trees often 15-30 feet at 50 or more years old. This tree is invaluable for semi-arid restoration, but unsuited to managed landscape situations west of the Cascades.