Eastern Juniper

Trees dioecious, to 30 m, single-stemmed; crown narrowly erect to conical, round, or flattened. Bark brown, exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets usually not exfoliating in plates. Branches pendulous to ascending; branchlets generally erect, sometimes lax to flaccid, 3--4-sided in cross section, ca. 2/3 or less as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves green but sometimes turning reddish brown in winter, abaxial gland elliptic or elongate, conspicuous, exudate absent, margins entire (at 20´ and 40´); whip leaves 3--6 mm, not glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1--3 mm, overlapping by more than 1/4 their length, keeled, apex obtuse to acute, spreading. Seed cones maturing in 1 year, of 1 size, generally with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid, 3--6(--7) mm, blue-black to brownish blue when mature, glaucous, soft and resinous, with 1--2(--3) seeds. Seeds 1.5--4 mm.

Trees to 30 m, dioecious; bark reddish brown; crown columnar-conical or conical; branches erect or spreading; branchlets thin, 4-angled, ca. 0.8 mm in diam. Leaves both scalelike and needlelike; needlelike leaves usually present on young plants, rarely present on adult plants, decussate or in whorls of 3, ascending, glaucous, 5-6 mm, concave adaxially; scalelike leaves decussate, rhombic-ovate, 1.5-3 mm, concave, abaxial gland basal, elliptic or ovate. Pollen cones 2-3 × ca. 1.5 mm; microsporophylls 8-12, each with 3 or 4 pollen sacs. Seed cones bluish green when ripe, glaucous, globose to ovoid, 4-6(-7) × 3-5.5 mm, 1- or 2-seeded. Seeds ovoid, 3-5 × 3-4 mm.

Cultivated for ornament and planted for afforestation. Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Zhejiang [native to E Canada, E United States]

Sabina virginiana (Linnaeus) Antoine.