General:
Trees single stemmed to 15 m or more with pyramidal or round crown; seldom a sprawling shrub less than 1 m (wind-swept sites along the shore); bark brown, exfoliating in thin strips.

Leaves:
Mostly scale-like, with blunt tips and entire margin (20-x to 40-x magnification), leaves on young innovations needle-like.

Cones:
Seed cones globose to kidney-shaped, 6-8 mm in diameter; black-blue to bluish-brown; seeds commonly excerted; maturing in 14-16 months; present from Fall to Winter.

Notes:
The species, previously included in Juniperus scopulorum, is characterized by having seed cones that mature in one year (14-16 months), seeds usually exserted from the cone, obtuse scale leaf tips; scale leaves overlap less than 1/5 the length, and branchlets smooth and reddish-brown.

Sources:

Adams, R.P. 2007. Juniperus maritima, the seaside juniper, a new species from Puget Sound, North America. Phytologia 89(3): 263-283.

Adams, R.P. 2008. Junipers of the world: The genus Juniperus. Trafford Publishing Co., Vancouver, BC.

Account Author::  Adolf Ceska.