rockm

"And I still don't know how it's still living given the fact that I've been strictly told and nagged at that it would ONLY survive outdoors (I've had it outside since mid to late November, as to achieve dormancy)."

It's living because juniper is tough. That's why this species is staple of "mallsai" sellers. It can be abused, kicked around, not watered, overwatered, whatever, for some time before it kicks off. Even in death, juniper remains green --making some people think it's still alive when it is long dead. They are even sold dead by unscrupulous sellers. The buyers don't realize they are buying an ex-juniper, because it's still green.

It takes months for stress to show up in this species. When it does show up, it usually means the plant is pretty far gone.

By the way, junipers don't need dormancy...Junipers need to be outdoors for a variety of horticultural reasons. They are high light plants--they like open deserts, alpine sites and virtually any area that gets direct sunlight. They need humidity and air circulation that simply can't be achieved indoors without specialized equipment and/or a special room to house them.