Cupressaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Juniperus occidentalis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Juniperus occidentalis is an evergreen shrub or a tree with a rounded to conical crown; it usually grows up to 20 metres tall, but specimens up to 30 metres are reported[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for a wide range of traditional uses as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is often grown as an ornamental. Juniperus occidentalis is presently increasing in abundance, spread and numbers of mature individuals. The southern subpopulations are stable, but lack of recruitment locally could pose problems following destructive events. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeWestern N. America - British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada

HabitatUsually found on thin rocky or sandy soils[ 229 Title The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Publication Author Elias. T. Publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Year 1980 ISBN 0442238622 Description A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions. ] on desert foothills and lower mountains[ 60 Title Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Publication Author Hitchcock. C. L. Publisher University of Washington Press Year 1955 ISBN - Description A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader. ], also on windswept peaks[ 82 Title Manual of the Trees of N. America. Publication Author Sargent. C. S. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Publisher Dover Publications Inc. New York. Year 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X Description Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet. ] up to elevations of 3,000 metres, where they become low gnarled shrubs[ 229 Title The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Publication Author Elias. T. Publisher Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Year 1980 ISBN 0442238622 Description A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions. ].