Western Juniper
Juniperus grandis
- Native to:
- United States
John Rusk (www.flickr.com) from Berkeley, CA, United States of America
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Coniferophyta | - Conifers
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Genus:
- Juniperus
- Species:
- Juniperus grandis
- USDA Symbol:
- JUGR7
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 1200 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Abagrotis glenni, Lithophane longior, Semiothisa sp., Sequoia sphinx (Sphinx sequoiae), 🛑Barry's hairstreak (Mitoura barryi), Siva Hairstreak (Mitoura siva)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Mature trees can survive low-intensity surface fires due to thick bark. Seedlings and young trees are fire-sensitive.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rocky, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- Commonly found in mountainous regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–120 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have deep dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Germination is often erratic and may take multiple seasons.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 90 days.
Source: Claude AI