creeping juniper
Cupressaceae (Cypress family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Sprawling, evergreen shrub, usually less than 30 cm tall, the branch tips trailing.
Leaves:
Scalelike, somewhat overlapping, closely pressed to stem; green, grey-green or blue-green.
Cones:
Seed cones fleshy, berrylike, 5-8 mm long, maturing to bluish-purple, glaucous, on short, recurved stalks; pollen and seed cones on separate plants.
Notes:
May hybridize with J. scopulorum where their ranges coincide; the hybrid has been called J. x fassettii Boivin.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Blooming Period:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
Source: The USDA
Ecology
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 |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
1008 | 440 | 2100 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
23 | 0 | 85 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
208 | 24 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
3 | 0 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
62 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(5), BWBS(10), ESSF(3), IDF(16), MS(7), SBPS(1), SBS(5), SWB(5) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Dry rocky or sandy slopes and flats in the montane zone; common in N BC, infrequent southward; N to SC AK, E to NF and S to CO.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Juniperus horizontalis var. argentea hort.
Juniperus horizontalis var. douglasii hort.
Juniperus horizontalis var. glauca Hornibr.
Juniperus horizontalis var. variegata Beissn.
Juniperus hudsonica Forbes
Juniperus prostrata Pers.
Juniperus repens Nutt.
Juniperus virginiana var. prostrata (Pers.) Torr.
Sabina horizontalis (Moench) Rydb.
Sabina prostrata (Pers.) Antoine
Taxonomic Keys
TAXONOMIC KEY TO JUNIPERUS
1. Leaves awl-shaped, in whorls of 3, spreading; the berrylike fruits sessile in the leaf axils J. communis 1. Leaves mostly scalelike, opposite, appressed to stem; the berrylike-like fruits terminal on the branchlets. 2. Low, spreading or creeping shrubs; fruits recurved on short stalks J. horizontalis 2. Small trees or erect shrubs; fruits erect or nodding J. scopulorum Source The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia Note that since the publication of the Illustrated Flora, new species have been added to the BC flora, and are not incorporated in the keys. |