Editing Juniper (section)

==Description==
[[File:Juniperus communis cones.jpg|thumb|left|Cones and leaves of ''[[Juniperus communis]]'']]

Junipers vary in size and shape from tall [[tree]]s, {{convert|20|–|40|m|abbr=off}} tall, to columnar or low-spreading [[shrub]]s with long, trailing branches. They are [[evergreen]] with needle-like and/or scale-like [[leaves]]. They can be either [[monoecious]] or [[dioecious]]. The female [[Conifer cone|seed cones]] are very distinctive, with fleshy, [[fruit]]-like coalescing scales which fuse together to form [[Juniper berry|a&nbsp;berrylike structure]] ([[galbulus]]), {{convert|4|–|27|mm|abbr=off|frac=16}} long, with one to 12 unwinged, hard-shelled [[seed]]s. In some species, these "berries" are red-brown or orange, but in most, they are blue; they are often aromatic and can be used as a [[spice]]. The seed maturation time varies between species from 6 to 18 months after pollination. The male cones are similar to the other [[Cupressaceae]], with 6 to 20 scales.

In [[hardiness zone]]s 7 through 10, junipers can bloom and release [[pollen]] several times each year. Different junipers bloom in autumn, while most pollinate from early winter until late spring.<ref name=Ogren>{{cite book|last1=Ogren|first1=Thomas|title=The Allergy-Fighting Garden|date=2015|publisher=Ten Speed Press|location=Berkeley, CA|isbn=978-1-60774-491-7|pages=131–133}}</ref>

[[File:Jun chin close.jpg|thumb|left|Detail of ''[[Juniperus chinensis]]'' shoots, with juvenile (needle-like) leaves (left), adult scale leaves, and immature male cones (right)]]

Many junipers (e.g. ''[[J. chinensis]]'', ''[[Juniperus virginiana|J. virginiana]]'') have two types of leaves; seedlings and some twigs of older trees have needle-like leaves {{cvt|5|–|25|mm|frac=16}} long, on mature plants the leaves are overlapping like (mostly) tiny scales, measuring {{convert|2|–|4|mm|abbr=on|frac=32}}. When juvenile foliage occurs on mature plants, it is most often found on shaded shoots, with adult foliage in full sunlight. Leaves on fast-growing 'whip' shoots are often intermediate between juvenile and adult.

In some species (e.g. ''[[J. communis]]'', ''[[Juniperus squamata|J. squamata]]''), all the foliage is of the juvenile needle-like type, with no scale leaves. In some of these (e.g. ''J.&nbsp;communis''), the needles are jointed at the base, while in others (e.g. ''J.&nbsp;squamata''), the needles merge smoothly with the stem.
The needle leaves of junipers are hard and sharp, making the juvenile foliage very prickly to handle. This can be a valuable identification feature in seedlings, as the otherwise very similar juvenile foliage of cypresses (''[[Cupressus]], [[Chamaecyparis]]'') and other related genera are soft and not prickly.

Junipers are [[gymnosperm]]s, which means they have seeds, but no flowers or fruits. Depending on the species, the seeds they produce take 1–3 years to develop. The impermeable coat of the seed keeps water from getting in and protects the embryo when dispersed. It can also result in a long [[dormancy]] that is usually broken by physically damaging the seed coat. Dispersal can occur from being swallowed whole by frugivores and mammals. The resistance of the [[Seed-coat|seed coat]] allows it to be passed down through the digestive system without being destroyed along the way. These seeds last a long time, as they can be dispersed long distances over the course of a few years.<ref name=":9">{{cite journal | last1 = Chamber | first1 = J.C. | last2 = Vander Wall | first2 = S.B. | last3 = Schupp | first3 = E.W. | year = 1999 | title = Seed and seedling ecology of pinon and juniper species in the pygmy woodlands of western North America | journal = The Botanical Review | volume = 65 | issue = 1| pages = 1–38 | doi=10.1007/bf02856556| bibcode = 1999BotRv..65....1C | s2cid = 38377131 }}</ref>