Stats

Lifespan

50+ yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Boreal forest

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Uncommon

About

This low-growing shrub carpets rocky slopes across northern North America. Its needle-like leaves change from green to a deep purple hue during the winter months.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Pinopsida

Order

Pinales

Family

Cupressaceae

Genus

Juniperus

Species

Juniperus horizontalis