Home/Species/ Creeping Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis

Moench

Creeping Juniper

G5Secure Found in 23 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.144512

Element CodePGCUP05070

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumConiferophyta

ClassPinopsida

OrderPinales

FamilyCupressaceae

GenusJuniperus

Other Common Names

creeping juniper (EN) Genévrier horizontal (FR)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-02-05

Change Date1984-06-06

Edition Date2005-02-22

Edition AuthorsWeldy, Troy W.

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Range Extent Comments

This shrub is present in scattered locations in a narrow band that stretches from Newfoundland and southern Maine, west through the Great Lakes region to northern Colorado and Wyoming, and extending northward to the Yukon Territory.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Creeping juniper grows along the ground in dense mats no more than 2 feet tall and 4-8 feet wide. The peeling, reddish brown bark is obscured by the thick overlapping mat of branches. The evergreen leaves are mostly scale-like and pressed close to the branches but needle-like leaves can also be found as in other junipers. Obscure flowers produce blue, berry-like cones containing 3-5 seeds.

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN5

Province	Rank	Native
Labrador	SNR	Yes
Alberta	S5	Yes
Northwest Territories	S5	Yes
Nunavut	SH	Yes
Prince Edward Island	S2	Yes
Saskatchewan	S5	Yes
Manitoba	S5	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	S5	Yes
New Brunswick	S3	Yes
British Columbia	S5	Yes
Nova Scotia	S4	Yes
Yukon Territory	S4	Yes
Ontario	S5	Yes
Quebec	S5	Yes

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Wisconsin	SNR	Yes
Montana	S5	Yes
Wyoming	S4	Yes
Minnesota	S3	Yes
Connecticut	SNR	Yes
New Hampshire	S1	Yes
Nebraska	S1	Yes
Indiana	SX	Yes
Michigan	SNR	Yes
Vermont	S1	Yes
Iowa	S1	Yes
Massachusetts	SNR	Yes
North Dakota	SNR	Yes
Illinois	S2	Yes
South Dakota	SNR	Yes
New York	S1	Yes
Alaska	S3	Yes
Maine	SNR	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (23)

Alaska (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
College Fiord	Chugach National Forest	1,130,818

Montana (15)

Area	Forest	Acres
Anaconda Hill	Helena National Forest	18,546
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - Swan	Lewis and Clark National Forest	344,022
Big Baldy	Lewis and Clark National Forest	43,135
Big Snowy Mountains Wsa	Lewis and Clark National Forest	88,003
Bridger	Gallatin National Forest	45,059
Gallatin Fringe	Gallatin National Forest	51,571
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area	Gallatin National Forest	143,991
Line Creek Plateau	Custer National Forest	24,825
Madison	Gallatin National Forest	127,859
Middle Mtn. / Tobacco Roots	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest	96,487
Mt. Baldy	Helena National Forest	16,362
Mt. Gmt Area H	Custer National Forest	1,335
North Absaroka	Custer National Forest	21,063
Red Lodge Creek Hellroaring	Custer National Forest	17,210
Specimen Creek	Helena National Forest	12,368

North Dakota (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Kinley Plateau	Dakota Prairie Grasslands	16,900
Tracy Mountain	Dakota Prairie Grasslands	9,756
Wannagan	Dakota Prairie Grasslands	6,026

Wyoming (4)

Area	Forest	Acres
Beartooth Proposed Wilderness	Shoshone National Forest	16,837
Middle Fork	Shoshone National Forest	51,772
South Beartooth Highway	Shoshone National Forest	105,570
Walker Prairie	Bighorn National Forest	62,434

References (4)

Adams, R.P. 2018. <i>Juniperus</i> of Canada and the United States: Taxonomy, Key and Distribution. Lundellia 21(1):1-34.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xvi + 475 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife. 1995. Statement of need and reasonableness in the matter of proposed amendment of Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: endangered and threatened species. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, Minnesota. 336 pp.