If you're looking for a unique and hardy addition to your garden, Juniperus californica, or California juniper, is a versatile and attractive shrub or small tree that thrives in a variety of habitats. Found primarily in California and extending into southern Nevada and Arizona, it grows at moderate altitudes of 2,500-5,200 ft. The bark is ashy gray and appears "shredded," while the foliage is bluish-gray and scale-like. The cones are berry-like and contain a single seed. This plant provides food and shelter for native wildlife and was used as a traditional Native American medicinal plant and a food source. Cultivated as an ornamental plant that tolerates alkali soils and provides erosion control, the California juniper is a popular species for bonsai as well.