Description Juniperus californica

branches , fruit

juniperus californica shrub or small tree reaching 3–8 metres (9.8–26.2 ft), 10 metres (33 ft) tall. bark ashy gray, typically thin, , appears shredded . shoots thick compared junipers, between 1.5 , 2 millimeters (0.059 , 0.079 inches) in diameter.

foliage bluish-gray , scale-like. leaves arranged in opposite decussate pairs or whorls of three; adult leaves scale-like, 1 5 mm (0.039 0.197 in) long on lead shoots , 1 1.5 mm (0.039 0.059 in) broad. juvenile leaves (on seedlings only) needle-like, 5 10 mm (0.20 0.39 in) long.

the cones berry-like, 7 13 mm (0.28 0.51 in) in diameter, blue-brown whitish waxy bloom, turning reddish-brown, , contain single seed (rarely 2 or three). seeds mature in 8–9 months. male cones 2 4 mm (0.079 0.157 in) long, , shed pollen in spring. largely dioecious, producing cones of 1 sex, around 2% of plants monoecious, both sexes on same plant.

it closely related juniperus osteosperma (utah juniper) further east, shares stout shoots , relatively large cones, differs in utah juniper largely monoecious, cones take longer mature (two growing seasons), , s markedly more cold-tolerant.