Juniperus grandis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juniperus grandis
Scientific classification
Genus:	Juniperus
Species:	grandis
Natural range in light green (dark green is Juniperus occidentalis)
Synonyms
Juniperus occidentalis var. australis (Vasek) A.H. Holmgren & N.H. Holmgren

Juniperus grandis, known as Sierra juniper, Sierra western juniper, and western juniper, is a tree or tall shrub that is endemic to the Western United States. It is sometimes considered a variety of subspecies of Juniperus occidentalis, which is also known as western juniper.

Description

Juniperus grandis is a medium-sized tree, growing 12–26 metres (39–85 ft) tall. It has a stout trunk with red-brown bark, growing up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in diameter.

The whorled leaves are scale-like and closely appressed. Most plants are dioecious, but about 5–10% are monoecious.

Its fleshy and berry-like cones are 5–9 mm diameter. Its pollination period is May and June. The seeds are wingless.

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  Leaves

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  Berry-like cones

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  Bark

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  Mature form

Distribution and habitat

Juniperus grandis is native to the Sierra Nevada in eastern California and western Nevada; and the White and Inyo Mountains, San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, and higher elevations of Mojave Desert mountains, in Southern California.

It is found in exposed, dry, rocky slopes, flats, pinyon-juniper woodland, and Temperate coniferous forest habitats, including the Sierra Nevada upper montane forest and Sierra Nevada subalpine zone ecoregions. It grows at elevations of 100–3,100 metres (330–10,170 ft).

Images for kids

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  Bennett Juniper, the largest juniper