General: One-Seed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma) is a coniferous (cone-bearing) tree with tiny, scale-like leaves. The cones are round berries about 1/4-inch in diameter. This species is most easily recognized by the several trunks that all arise from ground level.

One-Seed Junipers are dioecious, with male pollen cones occurring on male trees, and female cones (berries) occurring on female trees.

Don't look for this species in Nevada, rather, One-Seed Juniper is common to the east and south in places like the Grand Canyon and eastward. It is a common component of montane vegetation in the Upper Sonoran (Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.

Family: Cypress (Cupressaceae).

Other Names:

Plant Form: Large shrub to small tree; rounded. Broad rounded crown; trunk short, several branches arising from ground.

Height: To 25-feet tall.

Trunk: To 1.5-feet diameter.

Bark: Thin, gray, numerous narrow fissures, shedding.

Branches: Branchlets 3-dimensional (not flattened).

Needles: Gray-green, closely adpressed, sharply pointed; minutely toothed on margin.

Cones: Male Cone: Small, pine-cone-like structure that releases pollen into the wind. Female Cone: Berry; blue to blue-black, covered with a bluish, waxy substance; 1/4-inch diameter (6-8 mm).

Seeds: 1 seed per fruit.

Habitat: Flats, canyons, and rocky mountain slopes.

Elevation: 3000–7000 ft

Distribution: The center of distribution is the four-corners area, but the species extends from northwestern Arizona to northern Mexico and west Texas.

Comments: One-Seed Juniper does not occur around Las Vegas.