Stats

Lifespan: Up to 300 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

A native North American juniper with aromatic, rot-resistant wood once used for cedar chests and pencil casings; some individuals live over 900 years. The powdery orange pollen clouds it releases each winter trigger 'cedar fever' in millions of allergy sufferers across the Great Plains.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Juniperus
Species: Juniperus virginiana