Juniperus occidentalis

Western juniper or Sierra juniper is in the cypress or Cupressaceae family and is native to western United States, mainly Washington, California, Utah and Arizona but also in smaller areas in surrounding states.

There are two varieties, treated as subspecies by some botanists (note distribution map in photos): Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis var. occidentalis); and Sierra juniper (Juniperus occidentalis var. australis).

• Adult leaves are small (1–1.6 mm long) scale-like , tight against the branches, opposite in desiccate pairs (occasionally whorls of 3); juvenile leaves (on young seedlings only) are needle-like, 5–10 mm long.
• Species is monoecious; male cones are 2–4 mm long, terminal, ovoid-oblong, yellow-green, maturing yellow-brown, shedding pollen in early spring; female cones are berry-like, 5–10 mm in diameter, terminal on branches, going from purple-red to blue-purple, fleshy or pulpy, with a whitish waxy bloom, maturing in 2 years and falling soon after ripe.
• Branches are thick, ascending or spreading, often curved or contorted, the foliage branches forming dense rounded tufts at the ends of the heavy main branches, forming a pyramidal crown in young trees, becoming rounded and irregular in old trees. Bark is first smooth, pink-brown, then becoming grey and flaking; then fibrous, red-brown to brown.