Western Juniper
Juniperus occidentalis
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae)

Growth Form: Thickly branched tree, usually with a single trunk; 10 to 25 feet

Leaves: Evergreen; small, scale-like with distinct glands, gray-green, usually in whorls of three

Bark: Rough, shreddy, reddish-brown

Cones: Berry-like, 1/4 to 3/8 inch, blue-black covered with a grayish bloom; cone scales are indistinct; mature in second growing season

Found: Usually in dry sandy areas or rocky slopes growing with sagebrush, manzanita, bitterbrush, and mixed conifer and shrubs

Tidbits: Often infected with clumps of dwarf mistletoe. Cones are eaten by birds, foliage by deer.