The plant referred to in Jeremiah 17:6 and 48:6 is likely a type of juniper, possibly the Phoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea) or the savin juniper (Juniperus sabina).
Juniperus phoenicea grows in rocky, dry regions of Arabia and the Mediterranean.
Juniperus sabina is more common in the deserts and rocky highlands of Syria and Palestine.
Both are hardy, drought-resistant shrubs or small trees that grow in barren places. This fits with the biblical image of a person who does not trust in the Lord and lives in dry, uninhabited lands. These references in Jeremiah may describe what is sometimes called the brown-berried cedar or sharp cedar, which are traditional names for certain types of juniper. In the King James Version, it is translated as “heath.”
The King James Version incorrectly translated the Hebrew word for "broom" (a desert shrub) as "juniper" in several places (1 Kings 19:4–5; Job 30:4; Psalm 120:4).