Ju′niper, species of Juniperus, a genus of conifers, containing about thirty species widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. The junipers are characterized-by their opposite or whorled leaves, and are peculiar among conifers in that the cone ripens into a berry-like fruit. The most common species of the north-eastern states are the common juniper (J. communis) which occurs either as a small tree or shrub or as a prostrate form; the savin (J. Sabina) which is a prostrate or sometimes creeping shrub throughout the northern regions; and the cedar (J. Virginiana), which is common on dry hills or in deep swamps and has a shreddy bark and a red, aromatic, hard wood.
