California Juniper

Juniperus californica

treeView on Calscape

Care

Sun

full sun, part shade

Water

very low

Soil

Fast, Medium; Typically coarse, well drained and low nutrient soil such as decomposed granite.

Size

10–26ft tall, 20–20ft wide

Foliage

Evergreen

Deer

Resistant

Edible

Seeds eaten raw or roasted

Keystone Plant

Supports up to 53 butterfly and moth species in Mediterranean California

Native Range

Desert scrub and Joshua tree woodland of the Mojave Desert and interior chaparral of southern California from 2000-5000 ft elevation, extending to the Colorado Desert.

Care Guide

Planting

Plant California Juniper in full sun with fast-draining soil - decomposed granite or coarse, low-nutrient soil is ideal. Space plants generously since they grow wider than tall, reaching 10–26 feet. Plant in fall or winter when the plant is dormant to help it establish before summer heat. This juniper tolerates a range of well-drained soils and even poor, rocky ground, so amend heavily if your garden has clay or compacted soil.

After Planting

Water weekly during your first summer, then cut back to once monthly by the second year once established. Year one is critical - consistent watering helps the roots develop, but overwatering in poorly drained soil will kill the plant faster than drought. The #1 mistake is planting in heavy clay or keeping the soil too wet; California Juniper evolved in sparse, dry conditions and demands drainage above all else. After establishment, you can nearly ignore it - water only during severe droughts, and prune only to shape or remove dead wood.

Visit Calscape for more information about California Juniper

Endangered & Threatened Species Supported

Sage thrasherOreoscoptes montanus

California Species of Special Concern

CA Special Concern

California scrub-jayAphelocoma californica

California Species of Special Concern

CA Special Concern

Wildlife Supported