NameThatPlant.net: Juniperus communis var. depressa

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Gymnosperms (non-flowering plants): Conifers: Cupressales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Juniperus communis var. depressa FAMILY Cupressaceae Go to FSUS key

Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.

Learn more about Juniperus from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

Juniperus communis is circumpolar, widespread in n. North America, n. Europe, and n. Asia. Its berry is the juniper berry used as a spice, as well as the main flavoring of gin. It is sometimes planted as a landscaping plant. Var. depressa, a decumbent shrub, up to about 1 meter high, forms large clonal patches, per Weakley's Flora (2022)

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Juniperus communis var. depressa FAMILY Cupressaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Juniperus communis var. depressa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 018-03-001:

Juniperus communis var. depressa FAMILY Cupressaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Juniperus sibirica

COMMON NAME:
Ground Juniper, Mountain Juniper, Common Juniper

To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Juniperus communis var. depressa, Ground Juniper, Mountain Juniper, Common Juniper

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905) mtna_i_112

JK Marlow jkm120815_832

August Haywood County NC

Corneille Bryan Native Garden

Leaves all needlelike, spreading from twig, with 1 broad white band on 1 side, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

COMPARE conifers (not including Pines)

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Juniperus communis var. depressa FAMILY Cupressaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Juniperus communis var. depressa FAMILY Cupressaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Juniperus communis var. depressa

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 018-03-001:
Juniperus communis var. depressa FAMILY Cupressaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Juniperus sibirica

775

Shrub
Perennial
Dioecious

Habitat: In thin soil around rock outcrops on mountain summits and Piedmont monadnocks and rocky bluffs (in GA and NC), high elevation old fields (in VA), xeric Coastal Plain sandhills (in SC and VA), per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Rare

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Leaves spine-tipped

LEAVES:
Evergreen
Whorls of 3, or opposite

"FLOWER":
Spring

FRUIT:
Blue or black
Berry-like cone

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!

"It was spring, But it was summer I wanted, The warm days, And the great outdoors. It was summer, But it was fall I wanted, The colorful leaves, And the cool, dry air. It was fall, But it was winter I wanted, The beautiful snow, And the joy of the holiday season. It was winter, But it was spring I wanted, The warmth, And the blossoming of nature. I was a child, But it was adulthood I wanted, The freedom, And the respect. I was 20, But it was 30 I wanted, To be mature, And sophisticated. I was middle-aged, But it was 20 I wanted, The youth, And the free spirit. I was retired, But it was middle age I wanted, The presence of mind, Without limitations. My life was over. But I never got what I wanted." — Jason Lehman

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