creeping juniper

(Juniperus horizontalis)

Conservation Status
creeping juniper
 
  IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

S3 - Vulderable

     
  Minnesota

Special Concern

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Creeping juniper is a low, fast-growing, short-lived, evergreen, perennial shrub. It often forms large, dense, sometimes mat-like clones.

The stems lay flat on the ground (prostrate), sometimes with the tips curved upward (decumbent). They may be 4 to 8 long, up to ¾ in diameter, and 4 to 12 in height. They often root at the nodes and then detach, forming a new plant, a process known as layering.

The bark is reddish-brown and thin at first, eventually peeling in thin strips. On larger branches it peels in wide strips or plates.

The branches are slender, upright, 3- or 4-sided in cross section, and hairless. In the first year they are green and are tightly wrapped with overlapping, awl-shaped scales. The scales turn reddish-brown in the first winter and remain of the branch for 2 to 5 years.

The leaves are opposite and evergreen, persisting 4 to 5 years. They are green but turn reddish-purple in the winter. There are two types of leaves, juvenile whip leaves and adult scale-like leaves. Whip leaves are awl-shaped to needle-like and spread away from the stem. They are to ¼ long, 1 64to 1 32 wide, and are sharply pointed at the tip. They are not jointed at the base but merge smoothly with the stem. The margins are untoothed. Adult leaves are egg-shaped, are tightly appressed to the stem, and overlap for of their length. They are 1 32 to long, 1 64to 1 16 wide, and are rounded or broadly pointed at the tip, with an abrupt, small, slender point at the tip. The margins are untoothed.

Numerous male (pollen) and female (seed) cones are borne on separate plants. The male cone is yellowish-brown, ellipse-shaped to oblong, and 1 16 to long. It is stalkless and is are borne at the end of a second-year branch. It is composed of 6 to 10 cone scales. It releases pollen in late April to late May. The mature female cone is fleshy, berry-like, egg-shaped to globe-shaped, and 3 16to 5 16 in diameter. It is on a curved, scaly, 1 16 to long stalk and is borne at the end of a second-year branch. It is green at first, becoming bluish-black and covered with a bluish-white, waxy coating (glaucous) as it ripens. It matures in the second year.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

Up to 12

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Common juniper (Juniperus communis var. depressa) is usually at least 3 tall. It has only needle-like leaves, no scale-like leaves.

Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) is a tree. The female cones are on straight stalks. It is otherwise indistinguishable in appearance.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry. Prairies, sand barrens, sand dunes, rock outcrops, stream banks. Full sun. Sandy or gravelly soil.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Pollination

 
 

 

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/28/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Uncommon and localized in Minnesota

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Pinopsida (conifers)  
  Subclass Pinidae  
 

Order

Pinales (conifers)  
 

Family

Cupressaceae (cypress, redwood)  
 

Subfamily

Cupressoideae  
 

Genus

Juniperus (junipers)  
 

Section

Sabina (scale-leaf junipers)  
  Subsection Juniperus  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Juniperus horizontalis var. douglasii

Juniperus horizontalis var. glauca

Juniperus horizontalis var. variegata

Juniperus hudsonica

Juniperus prostrata

Juniperus repens

Juniperus virginiana var. prostrata

Sabina horizontalis

Sabina prostrata

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

American savin

creeping juniper

creeping savin juniper

creeping-cedar

prostrate juniper

shrubby red-cedar

trailing juniper

Waukegan juniper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Decumbent

Reclining on the ground but with the tips ascending.

 

Glaucous

Pale green or bluish gray due to a whitish, powdery or waxy film, as on a plum or a grape.

 

Layering

A method of propagation where a stem or branch comes into permanent contact with the soil, sprouts roots, and then detaches from the main plant.

 

Prostrate

Laying flat on the ground.

 
 
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Plant

 
    creeping juniper   creeping juniper  
           
    creeping juniper      
           
 

Female Seed Cones

 
    creeping juniper   creeping juniper  
           
 

Immature, Awl-shaped Leaves

 
    creeping juniper      
           
 

Mature, Scale-like Leaves

 
    creeping juniper      

 

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  William Olson
5/10/2013

Hi Info,
I have a small plot (about 20' diameter) of creeping juniper,  Juniperus horizontalis, growing on   my property in Lake of the Woods County, 5.5 miles North of Roosevelt, MN  on  Rocky Point RD.  Thanks to your website, I finally found out what the patch was.  It is growing in a patch of woods, Aspen, Balsam Popler, Spruce &  assorted brush.  It is the only patch that I have seen on my property, or anywhere else, so far.
I give you this information just in case you might be interested in its actual range.

 
           
 
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