E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Juniperus communis L.
common juniper (ground juniper)
Cupressaceae (Cypress family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Ashley Churchill  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #16868)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Juniperus communis
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Species Information

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General:
Sprawling, evergreen shrub, 0.5-3.0 m tall; bark very thin, reddish-brown, shredding and scaly.
Leaves:
Needle-like, with whitish channel on upper surface, (5) 7-12 (19) mm long, in whorls of three on stem.
Cones:
Seed cones fleshy, berrylike, egg-shaped to globose, 6-9 mm long, green in first year, ripening in second year to bluish black; pollen and seed cones on separate plants.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

USDA Species Characteristics

Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Blue
Present from Summer to Fall
According to the USDA, this species is a known allelopath.
Source:  The USDA

Habitat / Range

Dry slopes and open forests to wet coastal muskeg in the lowland to alpine zones; common throughout BC; circumpolar, N to AK, E to NF and S to CA, AZ, NM, and GA; Eurasia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Juniperus communis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 6 1294 2854
Slope Gradient (%) 0 29 244
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
0 189 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
0 2 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
5370
Modal BEC Zone Class
ESSF
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: AT(62), BAFA(27), BG(26), BWBS(204), CMA(17), CWH(99), ESSF(1166), ICH(364), IDF(1161), IMA(15), MH(13), MS(1101), PP(59), SBPS(298), SBS(330), SWB(149)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References