Juniper ID

University of Wisconsin

Overlapping, scale-like foliage that wraps around the branchlets

Adult and Juvenile Foliage

Pfitzer Juniper – Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’

Oregon State University

• Two types of foliage on most junipers.

• Adult foliage is scaled – juvenile foliage is needled – in whorls of 3, similar to the common juniper we saw earlier. Usually this juvenile foliage is near the bottom of the shrub. It’s very sharp and prickley. Some people have an allergic reaction to it.

Juniper foliage and “berries”University of Wisconsin

Male Pollen Cones on Juniper Castlewood Canyon – photo by Linda Smith

• Junipers are dioecious, meaning each plant is either a male plant, with pollen cones only…..,

• …or it is a female plant, with female cones only. The cones of juniper look like berries…

• But the scales of the cone are fused together and have become fleshy, not woody like other members of the cypress family.

• Cedar waxwings love this fruit. Gin can been made from this fruit. Each ‘cone’, depending on the species, will have from 1 to 5 seeds within the cone.

• Juniperus monosperma – one seed – upright juniper.

Junipers don’t have buds – the new growth is produced from meristematic tissues under the “skin” of the twig.

Another horizontal Juniper

Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’Oregon State University

Rocky Mountain Juniper

Juniperus scopulorumUniversity of Connecticut

• Arborvitae - L’Arbre de Vie – Tree of Life • In the 16th century in the St. Lawrence Valley of NY,

Cartier and his men developed scurvy. The local Indians brewed a tea from the foliage of the native arborvitae and saved their lives.

• The oriental arborvitae’s most identifiable feature is the vertical foliage sprays. Look as though they’ve been ironed, or pressed between the pages of a book. They could be spread out and would make a carpet, whereas juniper branches are bushy, not flat, and wouldn’t make a very good carpet.

• No buds, like juniper.• Fruit not as berry-like as juniper – has scales that peel

back somewhat, sometimes becoming woody.

Oriental Arborvitae Thuja orientalis

Oregon State University

Winter-kill damage on Arborvitae

Eastern ArborvitaeThuja occidentalis University of Connecticut

• Horizontal foliage sprays versus the vertical foliage sprays of the oriental arborvitae.

• Home Depot and Lowe’s sell this plant a lot.

Western Red Cedar – Thuja plicataOregon State University

Cedar of LebanonCedrus libani

North Carolina State University

Juniper and Arborvitae are in the Cypress Family – not

Cedar.

There’s only one true cedar – the Cedar of Lebanon which is

in the Pine Family.

Woody Plants Group 7a

• Cupressus arizonica• Juniperus monosperma• Juniperus scopulorum• Juniperus virginiana• Thuja ocidentalis• Taxus x media

• Arizona Cypress• Oneseed Juniper• Rocky Mountain Juniper• Eastern Red Cedar• Western Arborvitae• Hicks Yew

Cupressus arizonica

Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’

But the scales of the cone are fused together and have become fleshy, not woody like other members of the cypress family.

ID Cupressus arizonica

• Leaves have a silver/blue tint and come out all around the twig.

• Very malodorous – like skunk

• Bark is ridged and furrowed, but slightly scaly

• Can be pyramidal or irregular depending on the seedling

Juniperus monosperma

Male flowers

Junipers are dioecious, meaning each plant is either a male plant, with pollen cones only…..,

ID Juniperus monosperma

• Low to the ground, evergreen

• Multi-trunk

• tiny, yellowish-green scale-like aromatic leaves in alternate pairs

• Hard blueish pea like berries containing one seed

Juniperus scopulorum

ID Juniperus scopulorum

• scale-like leaves

• narrow, conical growth habit

• most have a bluish cast to needles

• needles are opposite and closely pressed to stem

• branches and twigs are vertical

• blue fruits

Compare J. scopulorum and J. virginiana

• Rocky Mountain Juniper

• Branches definitely ascending

• Fruit requires two years to mature

• Foliage remains bluish green in winter

• Point of facial needles just meeting diamond above

• Under bark red

• Eastern Red Cedar • Branches nearly

horizontal • Fruit matures in one year

• Foliage turns purplish-brown in winter

• Point of facial needle entering into diamond above

• Under bark grey

Juniperus virginianaEastern Red Cedar

• Height – 30-45’ Spread – 10-15’• Medium water needs• Evergreen, conifer, scale leaves• Broad pyramidal shape• Medium green foliage turns russet in winter• Tough, used for windbreaks• Fruit – berry like cones, turn dark blue• Red/brown bark

• ID Features• both scale-like and awl-like foliage • medium green needle color • bronze winter color • needles arranged in a 4-rank pattern • waxy, blue fruits; small • needle tips pointed • branches have a strong cedar scent • upright form

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/juniperus_virginiana.html

Thuja occidentalisWestern Arborvitae

ID Thuja occidentalis

• conical shape • dense, compact evergreen foliage • scale-like leaves • tansy-like odor emitted from crushed foliage • branchlets held in horizontal planes • small woody cone • often with multiple trunks

Taxus x mediaHicks Yew

• two-ranked needles • red aril covered seed • scaly bark • usually massively pruned • blunt bud scales • pointed leaf apex • Evergreen• Dark green above, light green below

Taxus x media

• Flowers on old wood, not ornamental

• Red covered olive brown seed

• Scaly, flaky bark hidden by foliage

Id from Photographs

Entire Tree

Leaf

Fruit

Bark