Trees dioecious, to 30 m, single-stemmed; crown narrowly erect to conical, round, or flattened. Bark brown, exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5–10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets usually not exfoliating in plates. Branches pendulous to ascending; branchlets generally erect, sometimes lax to flaccid, 3–4-sided in cross section, ca. 2/3 or less as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves green but sometimes turning reddish brown in winter, abaxial gland elliptic or elongate, conspicuous, exudate absent, margins entire (at 20× and 40×); whip leaves 3–6 mm, not glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1–3 mm, overlapping by more than 1/4 their length, keeled, apex obtuse to acute, spreading. Seed cones maturing in 1 year, of 1 size, generally with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid, 3–6(–7) mm, blue-black to brownish blue when mature, glaucous, soft and resinous, with 1–2(–3) seeds. Seeds 1.5–4 mm.

Distribution

Only in the flora.

Discussion

Varieties 2.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola, Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana

Key

1	Seed cones 4-6(-7) mm; crown narrowly erect to conic or round; bark reddish brown; scalelike leaves acute at apex; pollen cones 3-4 mm.	Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana
1	Seed cones 3-4 mm; crown flattened; bark cinnamon reddish; scalelike leaves bluntly obtuse to acute at apex; pollen cones 4-5 mm.	Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola