In some botanical reference books, the coniferous juniper tree is referred to as heather, and among the Turkic peoples this plant is called juniper. By tracing the etymology of the genus name in Slavic literature, we can associate this word with the ancient verbs “to weave” and “to knit.” This is one of the longest-living plants, but it renews itself very poorly - human help is required to preserve trees.
Coniferous tree juniper ( Juniperus) belongs to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). The genus includes more than 60 species, distributed mainly in the mountains of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The appearance of plants is very diverse - from large trees to creeping shrubs. A characteristic feature of many species is variability depending on growing conditions: in the lowlands they have a tree-shrub crown shape, and in the mountains - an elfin one.
On this page you can see photos, names and descriptions different types junipers, and also get tips on growing them in the garden.
What juniper looks like: description of the plant and its photo
The leaves (needles) of junipers are very diverse: opposite or whorled, needle-shaped, scale-like, or both. The leaves of young (juvenile) plants are always needle-shaped. Varietal forms of the same species can have needles of any type. The color of needles of different species can vary from green to bluish. In junipers of the subgenus Sabina, the needles change color in winter, acquiring a protective brown tint.
Junipers are dioecious plants, less often monoecious.
Male “flowers” are ovoid on short branches, female flowers are rounded, on short scaly branches, formed at the ends of long shoots. The fruits are in small, round semi-dry berries (cone berries), ripen in the second, less often in the first year.
The genus Juniper is divided into three subgenera, uniting closely related species.
The largest of them is the subgenus Sabina, which, in particular, includes such popular species in gardens as:
- Cossack juniper ( J. sabina)
- Chinese juniper ( J. chinensis)
- Rock juniper ( J. scopulorum)
- Juniper scaly ( J. squamata)
- Juniper virginiana ( J. virginiana)
The second largest subgenus is Juniper (Juniperus), which unites, in particular, such species as:
- Common juniper ( J. communis)
- Coastal juniper ( J. conferta)
- Juniper hard ( J. rigida)
The smallest subgenus, Caryocedrus, includes only one species, the stone fruit juniper (J. drupacea).
Shrub forms of junipers are very characteristic of the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. At the border of the forest and alpine zones they often form extensive thickets. The most common mountain European species are undoubtedly M. cossack (J. sabina) and M. common (J. communis).
Large woody junipers are typical plants of the mountains of Central and Central Asia, where they form groves - juniper trees. This type of juniper received this name from the Turkic name of the tree - juniper. These are mainly M. Turkestan (J. turkestanica), M. Zeravshan (J. seravschanica), M. hemispherical (J. semiglobosa), and M. Turkmen (J. turcomanica). In nature, all these species are extremely hardy and can withstand temperature changes from +40 to -40 °C. Unfortunately, this endurance is not a guarantee of the well-being of junipers in northern gardens, since it directly depends on highly aerated, “breathing” rocky mountain soils.
Look at the photos of junipers of shrub and tree forms:
Creeping species of juniper conifers define the landscape of the highlands. High-mountain dwarf junipers are characterized by an unusual crown development pattern associated with the harsh climate - plant trunks are pressed to the ground, bend between scree stones, and over time completely die off, passing the baton of life to the branches rooted in the rubble. Such populations form vast carpet clumps that live for hundreds of years. Coastal elfin trees are formed in a similar way, but, unlike mountain ones, their trunks and branches are buried not in crushed stone, but in sand.
Typical dwarf species are:
- Juniper horizontal ( J. horizontalis)
- Siberian juniper ( J. sibirica)
- Juniperus daurica ( J. davurica)
- Juniper crowded ( J. conferta)
Types and popular varieties of juniper: photos, names and descriptions
Juniperus chinensis- Chinese juniper.
Grows in China. Mongolia and Japan.
In nature, it is a tree up to 20 m high or a shrub with a free-growing, broadly pin-shaped or creeping crown. Naturally, the size and type of crown depend solely on the growing conditions - the more favorable they are, the larger the plant. It is not surprising that Chinese juniper has a huge number of cultivars.
The branches of natural forms are thin, simultaneously with two types of needles on the same plant - scaly and needle-shaped. The scaly needles are tightly pressed to the branches and have a rhombic shape, while the needle-shaped needles are collected in whorls. The ends of the branches of young growth are straight and covered with scaly needles.
As you can see in the photo, the juniper of “wild” forms is dark bluish-green, while the varietal ones have the most varied, including golden:
Men's and female plants may vary. The fruits (cone berries) are brown with a mealy ring, round, 6-8 mm in diameter. They ripen in the second year. Natural varieties They are quite frost-resistant, but in severe winters they freeze slightly. The degree of frost resistance of varieties varies, but most of them are quite resistant.
Many cultivars of the coniferous juniper plant have a controversial origin, are considered hybrids with Cossack juniper (J. sabina) and are called medium juniper (J. media). Often these varieties are classified as either one species or another, but most often to the Pfitzeriana varietal group, including such popular cultivars as Gold Coast and Old Gold.
In the conditions of the Moscow region they can actively grow. But in unfavorable snowy winters, fractures and broken branches are quite common. When growing these junipers, even well-rooted and overgrown specimens can suffer from the spring sun and drying winds. They feel more comfortable in conditions with high air humidity.
Popular varieties of Chinese juniper:
Juniperus chinensis Expansa Aureospicata
Wide, tiered growth form. The needles are needle-shaped. Grey-green. The branches are pointed, some of them ending in creamy-golden growths. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 1.5-1.8 m; height 40-60 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Parsonii
Widely spreading, tiered growth form. The needles are needle-shaped. Grey-green. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 3.0 m; height 50-70 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Aurea
Widely spreading, tiered growth form.
Look at the photo - the needles of the juniper plant are soft, needle-shaped, golden:
The vegetative shoots are bright and turn green over time. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 2.0-2.2 m; height about 1 m. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Blue and Gold
Tiered, pot-like growth form. The needles are soft, needle-like. Gray-blue, with golden spots. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width up to 1.5 m; height 1 m. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Compacta
Tiered, creeping, flattened growth form. The needles are soft, needle-shaped, gray-blue. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 1.5-2.0 m; height about 50 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Gold Star
Widely spreading, tiered growth form. The needles are soft, needle-shaped, golden. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 2.0-2.2 m; height is about 1.0 m. When describing the juniper plant of this variety, it is worth noting its complete frost resistance. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Golden Saucer
Widely spreading, tiered growth form. The needles are soft, needle-like. Light green-golden. Vegetating shoots are bright and turn green over time. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 2.0-2.5 m; height about 1.0 m. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Plumosa Aureovariegata
Dwarf form. The needles are green-blue. The branches have white-cream tips and have a somewhat vertical growth direction. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 60-80 cm; height about 50 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
These photos show varieties of Chinese juniper, the names of which are given above:
Juniperus communis- Common juniper
A highly variable species, distributed in the forests and mountains of Europe, Northern Asia to Northern China and North Africa.
A columnar or pin-shaped tree or a multi-stemmed shrub with a height of 2 to 20 m. Just like many other junipers, the type of crown depends on the growing conditions, so in mountainous areas you can find forms with an elfin crown spread on the ground. Diversity natural types caused the appearance huge amount cultivars - varieties with different strength and type of crown growth.
Pay attention to the photo - this type of juniper has green, triangular young shoots with longitudinal grooves:
The bark of adult plants is gray-brown and fibrous. The needles are needle-shaped, hard, prickly, collected in whorls of 3 pieces. The length of the needles is 10-15 mm, the color is green with a white stripe in the center.
Male and female plants do not differ in appearance. The fruits (cone berries) are dark gray, as if covered with frost, round, 6-9 mm in diameter. They ripen in the 2-3rd year. Common juniper is one of the most frost-resistant of its kind. Most varieties are also completely frost-resistant, but many columnar forms suffer greatly from the spring sun and require shading.
Juniperus communis Berkshire
Mini variety of common juniper. The needles are prickly, pointed, gray-blue. Annual growth is within 3-5 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus communis compressa
Mini variety of common juniper. Columnar shape. This variety of common juniper has prickly, pointed, green-blue needles. The branches fit tightly to the trunk. Annual growth is within 3-5 cm. On the south side, it is desirable to shade the plant from the rays of the spring sun. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus communis Dr.U.
A narrow-columnar variety of common juniper. The needles are prickly, pointed, green. The branches fit tightly to the trunk. The crown is very dense. Annual growth is within 15-20 cm. It is desirable to shade the southern part of the plant from the rays of the spring sun. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus communis Spotty Spreader
A dwarf variety of common juniper. Widely creeping, shrubby form. The needles are soft, green, with irregular white staining. It is desirable to shade the southern part of the plant from the rays of the spring sun. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus communis Sterling Silver
A dwarf variety of common juniper. Creeping form. The needles are prickly, gray-blue. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus communis Suecica Aurea
Mini variety of common juniper. Columnar shape. The needles are prickly, pointed, green-golden. The branches fit tightly to the trunk. Annual growth is within 3-5 cm. It is desirable to shade the southern part of the plant from the rays of the spring sun. Completely frost-resistant, covered with frost, round, 8-12 mm in diameter. They ripen in the 2nd year.
Completely frost-resistant. It has a few varietal forms.
Juniperus conferta All Gold
A dwarf variety of crowded juniper. Creeping form. The needles are prickly and golden. Annual growth is within 5-8 cm. Frost-resistant.
Juniperus conferta- Juniper crowded
It grows on the sands in Japan and on Sakhalin Island, forming dense thickets.
Creeping, strongly creeping shrub, similar to the elfin form of common juniper. When describing this type of juniper, it is worth noting its very long, red-brown branches. The ends of the branches are straight. The needles are light green, needle-shaped, hard, prickly, collected in flat whorls of 3 pieces. Male and female plants do not differ in appearance. The fruits (cones) are dark blue, exactly
Juniperus horizontalis- Juniper horizontal
It grows in the mountains and along the sandy shores of large lakes in North America.
Creeping shrub with long branches tightly pressed to the ground. The branches are numerous and flat. The needles of the natural form are scaly, tightly pressed to the branches; in cultivated forms they are different: scaly, needle-shaped or combined. The color of the needles of the natural form is bluish-green, while the varietal ones are the most varied: green, bluish, golden, variegated.
The fruits (cones) are blue, as if covered with frost, round, 5-6 mm in diameter.
Juniperus horizontalis Blue Pygmy
Micro variety of horizontal juniper. The needles are prickly, green-blue, sometimes silvery, densely located on the branches. Annual growth up to 1 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus horizontalis Golden Carpet
Creeping form of horizontal juniper. The needles are scaly, golden, light green at the base of the branches. In winter it turns brown. Annual growth within 10 cm, completely frost-resistant. The decoration of the garden will be both a juniper grown on a trunk and hanging from it, and a specimen spreading along the ground.
Juniperus horizontalis Mother Lode
Creeping form of horizontal juniper. The needles are scaly, golden, slightly light green at the base of the branches. During the summer it gradually acquires brownish tones, turning completely brown in winter. Annual growth within 10 cm. Completely frost-resistant. The decoration of the garden will be both a juniper grown on a trunk and hanging from it, and a specimen spreading along the ground. Considered one of the most golden junipers.
Juniperus horizontalis Neuman
Micro variety of horizontal juniper. The needles are prickly, blue-green, sometimes silvery, densely located on the branches. Annual growth up to 1 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Almost indistinguishable from Juniperus horizontalis Blue Pygmy.
Look at the photo - this variety of juniper is considered the smallest:
Juniperus horizontalis Prince of Wales
Creeping form of horizontal juniper. The needles are scaly, green-blue. Annual growth is more than 10 cm. Crown diameter at the age of 10 years is more than 2 m. Completely frost-resistant. The decoration of the garden will be both a juniper grown on a trunk and hanging from it, and a specimen spreading along the ground.
Below are photos, names and descriptions of other varieties of junipers.
Other varieties of junipers: photos, names and descriptions
Juniperus sabina- Cossack juniper
It grows in the mountains of Southern and Central Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus and Asia Minor.
Very variable. In nature, it is a shrub that forms extensive clumps up to 4 m high. The trunks are inclined, the branches are more or less creeping with raised branches of young growth. The old bark is reddish-brown, falling off in patches. The needles of their natural shape are bluish-green, tightly pressed to the branches, combined - needle-shaped and scaly on the same plant. The needles of varietal forms are the most diverse in both shape and color. Male and female plants differ not only generatively, but also in the type of needles - in female specimens the needle type of needles is dominant, and in males the scaly type is dominant. Some varieties are nature-selected forms of either female or male plants, such as the varieties Femina and Mascula.
The fruits (cone berries) are bluish-black, as if covered with frost, round, 5-7 mm in diameter. They ripen the first year in autumn or the second year in spring. Completely frost-resistant.
Varieties of Cossack juniper ten to fifteen years ago were quite common in our gardens. The plant was unpretentious, and most importantly, almost the most affordable. But soon many owners small plots somewhat cooled down on its acquisition: firstly, it turned out that this juniper high speed growth and significant crown diameter, secondly, others appeared on the market, not so aggressive and at the same time more interesting, rare species and conifer varieties.
Juniperus sabina Variegata
Natural form. One of the branches has a mutating, variegated color.
Juniperus sabina Blaue Donau (synonym - Blue Danube)
Dwarf variety of Cossack juniper. Shrubby, spreading, funnel-shaped form. The branches are pointed and have a vertical direction of growth. When describing this variety of juniper, it is worth noting its beautiful green-blue needles. Annual growth is 20-25 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus sabina Cupressifolia
Dwarf variety of Cossack juniper. Creeping, spreading form. The branches are pointed, have a vertical direction of growth, and subsequently fall down. The needles are green-blue. Annual growth within 20 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus sabina Blue Forest
Dwarf variety of Cossack juniper. Dense, creeping, densely apical form. This is one of the best varieties Cossack juniper with short, pointed branches and blue-green needles. Annual growth within 10 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus scopulorum-Juniper rocky
Grows in western regions North America, on dry cliff spurs from Texas and Oregon to British Columbia. The species is closely related to Juniperus virginiana, which leads to constant confusion with the identification of varieties of these species.
In nature it is a tree 10-13 m high, often multi-stemmed. The crown is broadly columnar, pin-shaped or unevenly rounded. The bark is dark red-brown. The needles are scale-like, opposite, tightly pressed.
The color of the needles is dark, light or bluish green. The fruits (cone berries) are dark blue, as if covered with frost, round, 5-7 mm in diameter, sweetish. They ripen by the end of the second year.
Both natural and cultivated varieties of this juniper are completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus scopulorum Moonglow
Columnar form of rock juniper. The branches fit tightly to the trunk. The needles are hard, prickly, gray-blue. Dimensions of the plant at 10 years of age: width within 40 cm, height 3.0 m. Frost-resistant. At a young age it can be damaged by the rays of the spring sun.
Juniperus sibirica- Siberian juniper
Typical dwarf species highlands and polar regions of Eurasia. Systematically close to M. vulgaris. In nature, it forms extensive carpet thickets, in garden culture- a squat shrub with a wide dense crown. Young shoots are green, triangular with longitudinal grooves. The bark of adult plants is gray-brown and fibrous.
As you can see in the photo, this variety of juniper has needle-shaped, hard, prickly needles, collected in whorls of 3 pieces:
The length of the needles is 5-8 mm, the color is green with a white stripe in the center. Male and female plants do not differ in appearance. The fruits (cone berries) are dark gray, almost covered with frost, round, 6-9 mm in diameter. They ripen in the 2-3rd year.
Rare in cultivation, but promising for securing slopes and decorating large rockeries. It has no cultivars or hybrid varieties.
Juniperus squamata— Juniper scaly
Grows in the Himalayas, Central and Western China. In nature, it is a highly branched, often creeping shrub that forms extensive but loose clumps. The trunks and branches are hard, elastic, covered with gray-brown exfoliating bark. The branches of young growths are long, raised, bluish-green. The needles are needle-shaped, gray, short, dense, prickly, collected in whorls. The fruits (cone berries) are red-brown, turning black over time, ellipsoidal, 6-8 mm long. They ripen in the second year. It is quite frost-resistant, but often suffers from the spring sun.
It has a few but varied cultivars, mainly with bluish-blue needles. The crown shape of varietal forms is very diverse: “vase-shaped” in the Meyeri variety, spherical in Blue Star, creeping in Blue Carpet. These varieties are the most common in cultivation and are “typical” for this type of juniper. Also recommended varieties: Holger, Meyeri, Tropical Blue.
Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet
Wide, creeping form of scaly juniper. The branches are dense, whip-like. The needles are sharp, hard, gray-blue. Annual growth within 10 cm. Frost-resistant. In damp winters it is often damaged by a fungal infection, which can result in damage to the needles of the branches. Spring sun aggravates damage. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus squamata Holger
It is possible that this is a hybrid of scaly juniper and Chinese Pfitzeriana Aurea. Wide, flattened shape. The needles are sharp, turning yellow in spring, later turning gray-blue. At the age of 10 possible sizes: 50-70 cm in height and 2.0-2.5 m in width. Frost-resistant. In damp winters it is often damaged by a fungal infection, which can result in damage to the needles of the branches. The spring sun makes the damage worse. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus squamata Meyeri
Wide, creeping form of scaly juniper. The branches are dense, whip-like, and raised. The needles are sharp, hard, gray-blue, collected in whorls. Annual growth within 10 cm. Frost-resistant. In damp winters it is often damaged by a fungal infection, which can result in damage to the needles of the branches. The spring sun aggravates the damage. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus squamata Tropical Blue
Dwarf form of scaly juniper. Very compact, round shape. The needles are sharp, hard, rich silver-blue color. Annual growth is within 5-7 cm. Frost-resistant. In damp winters it is often damaged by a fungal infection, which can result in damage to the needles of the branches. The spring sun makes the damage worse. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus virginiana- Juniper virginiana
The name of this variety of junipers is given by the name of its main distribution area. The trees grow in their natural habitat in the dry, rocky soils of Virginia. They can also be found in wet swampy places in North America - from Canada to Florida. The species is close to J. scopulorum (M. rocky), which leads to constant confusion with the definition of varieties of these species.
In nature it is very variable, but most often it is a tree up to 30 m high. The shape of the crown changes with age - at first narrowly columnar, and later pin-shaped with drooping and horizontally spaced branches. The trunk is up to 1 m thick.
The bark is peeling and varies in color from gray to reddish-brown. The needles are gray, combined - both needle-shaped and scaly on the same plant. Scale-like needles dominate, but needle-like ones are also quite noticeable, especially on old trees, where they reach a length of 10 mm. The scaly needles are opposite, lanceolate or ovate-rhombic, 1-2 mm long.
The flowers are monoecious (male and female on the same specimen). The fruits (cones) are dark blue, shiny, as if covered with frost, almost round, 6 mm in diameter.
Both natural and varietal forms are completely frost-resistant.
It has a few cultivars, but varied in growth type. The most common are the columnar Skyrocket and the spread out Gray Owl.
Juniperus virginiana Gray Owl
A medium-sized variety of Virginian juniper. In youth, it has a prostrate-raised form, which with age becomes very wide and multi-tiered. The branches are whip-shaped, raised. The needles are prickly, gray-blue. Annual growth is within 15-20 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
How to grow juniper in the country: agricultural technology for planting and caring in open ground (with photo)
For planting and successful care For juniper, you need to take care of loose, slightly acidic loamy soils; sandy loam soils are also quite suitable. Dwarf varieties should not be grown in overly rich soils - they may lose their typical crown shape.
When caring for junipers, adult specimens do not require feeding. Young plants can be fed in the spring after the snow melts on wet soil with complex or combined mineral fertilizer in a reduced concentration. Fresh manure and feces are strictly excluded.
These photos show the agricultural technology of planting and caring for junipers:
In order to care for junipers as proper agricultural technology suggests, you need to ensure the absence of stagnant and groundwater.
Frost resistance of species varies. Adult specimens are more resistant than young ones. It is possible to build a shelter from frost only for low-growing varietal forms.
As shown in the photo, when caring for junipers, medium-sized specimens are insulated with coniferous spruce branches; for dwarf ones, a “hut” is arranged:
To avoid breaking by heavy snow and loss of shape, lightly tightening the branches of multi-stemmed varietal specimens is necessary.
The use of junipers in garden landscape design (with photo)
It is not surprising that these beautiful and diverse plants have become one of the main ones for the formation of compositions of ornamental gardens in almost all regions of the Earth. Depending on the nature and strength of growth, the type and color of the needles, each of the types and varieties of junipers in landscape design used in its own way. They are good as dominants and solitaires, for creating groups and borders, for planting in mixborders and rockeries. Junipers are indispensable in garden design and for maintaining the constant color of the garden - none of the coniferous genera has such a rich variety of needle colors: all honey mushrooms are green, bluish-white and golden yellow. Junipers tolerate formative pruning absolutely painlessly throughout the year. To restrain growth and make spreading and creeping varieties more compact, it is possible to cut out any branches.
Look at the photo - in garden design, bush junipers and varieties are good for forming trimmed hedges:
Compact multi-topped forms are used for natural, untrimmed hedges and borders. Dense narrow pyramidal varieties are indispensable for creating trimmed columns, arches and spirals. Tall, wide-pyramidal cultivars are convenient for forming trimmed tiered compositions in the Japanese style.
One of the main conditions for growing juniper from seeds is to use only freshly harvested planting material. When stored under normal conditions, germination is lost after 1-2 years.
Seeds should be collected in the fall, as soon as the pine cones ripen. To improve germination, they must be removed from the fruit and washed. The seeds have very hard shells, without breaking which they cannot germinate. In addition, the seed embryo is not ready for germination, as it is at rest. In nature, the process of breaking the integument takes place in the stomach of birds that swallow the seeds, and the awakening of the embryo occurs after a long stay in the soil.
In garden culture for growing juniper, the seeds are scarified, that is, the integument is artificially disturbed. For junipers in the best possible way is a chemical method in which dry seeds are placed for 30 minutes in sulfuric acid, and then rinse carefully. After this treatment, the seeds are sown in open ground. They germinate by spring.
Another method of seed germination is possible, based on combined stratification, creating ideal conditions to awaken the embryo. Immediately after collecting and cleaning the seeds, they are mixed with coarse, clean, slightly damp sand, sawdust or sphagnum moss, placed in plastic bags and stored for 2-3 months at a temperature of +20 to +30 ° C. Subsequently, the seeds are stored for 3-4 months in the refrigerator or basement at a temperature of +3...+5 °C. During the stratification period, it is necessary to maintain an even, moderate level of substrate moisture and avoid temperature fluctuations.
In spring, stratified seeds are washed and sown in boxes or bowls. The crops are placed in a warm (+18…+23 °C) place, where they germinate. The seedlings are kept in the light, but not in the bright sun, and watered moderately, if necessary, dive. After hardening to fresh air planted in a ridge.
To simplify the process, seeds after stratification can be immediately sown in ridges open ground. The combination of chemical scarification with further stratification guarantees a higher germination percentage.
When propagated by seed, varietal varieties weakly repeat their characteristic characteristics, and it is very difficult to identify them in the first year. To propagate varietal forms, vegetative propagation is used.
Propagation of junipers in the garden by cuttings (with video)
The method of propagating junipers by horizontal layering does not guarantee the preservation of the crown shape of columnar plants, but it is very good for dwarf forms. Rooting occurs throughout the year.
Cuttings most fully ensure the repetition of all varietal characteristics. However, not all junipers are equally easily propagated by cuttings. Cuttings from young ones take root relatively well varietal plants, even better - cuttings taken from plants with an elfin crown type. Cuttings of many wild species, especially those taken from old specimens, root very poorly.
Cuttings are carried out in the spring before or at the very beginning of the awakening of the buds. You can do this in the summer, when the young growths have hardened, but in this case the cuttings do not have time to form roots and overwinter only with an influx of callus.
For spring and early summer rooting, mature shoots from last year are suitable; in mid-summer, the growth of the current year is cut off. From columnar and narrow pyramidal forms, only shoots tending upward, but not the strongest, are taken; from creeping ones, everything except vertical ones are taken; from plants with a loose, oval or spherical crown, any cuttings can be taken. The best cuttings are short side branches, plucked from the main branch with a piece old wood- with a “heel”. They are prepared in the morning or in cloudy weather.
To propagate junipers in the garden, cuttings are rooted in boxes filled with a special substrate consisting of coarse washed sand with the addition of perlite in a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1 or high acidic peat (3:1). The cuttings are immersed in the substrate at an angle of 60-70, and in no case should they be turned over with the back side of the branch facing up.
When cuttings in spring initial period, before the buds open, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of +15...+18 ᵒC, and then bring it to +20...+23 °C. It is undesirable to allow sudden temperature fluctuations and raise it above +25 °C. Straight lines are especially dangerous for cuttings Sun rays, so they need to be shaded.
Excessive substrate moisture leads to the death of cuttings. To avoid this, good drainage is needed. However, the combination of a slightly moist substrate with high air humidity stimulates rooting. To improve results, you can use preparations for root formation, strictly adhering to the instructions included with them.
If you care for junipers in your dacha garden as proper agricultural technology suggests, then spring cuttings can take root by mid-summer, and summer ones by the end of autumn. But sometimes by autumn the cuttings do not form roots, having only a thickening at the cut site - callus. In this case, they need shelter for the winter. Well-rooted plants are not covered.
Watch the video “Propagation of juniper by cuttings” to better understand how this agricultural technique is performed:
Any corner of the garden or summer cottage can be decorated with unpretentious and beautiful junipers. In modern landscape design they have become popular and loved due to their various shapes, colors, plasticity and unpretentiousness. Any design idea can be easily realized with the help of these conifers, which cut perfectly. You can plant on your site lush bush or a spreading tree, creeping ivy or columnar monolith. There are more than 70 species in the juniper genus. In this article we will talk about the most popular and low-maintenance species and varieties.
Frost-resistant species of junipers
These types of junipers are most often have large habitats. These can be large shrubs growing in light coniferous forests, or small trees found in the undergrowth of deciduous forests.
Common juniper: photos and varieties
A tree or shrub up to 12 meters high can have a variety of shapes. It is distinguished by reddish-brown shoots and flaky bark. The shiny, prickly and narrow lanceolate needles are 14-16 mm long. Blue-black cones with a bluish coating reach 5-9 mm in diameter. They ripen in the second or third year.
Common juniper, resistant to frost and urban air pollution can grow on poor sandy loams. The shrub has about a hundred varieties, which differ in height, color of needles, shape and diameter of the crown. The most popular varieties are:
Pyramid tree native to North America can reach up to 10 m in height. Due to their resistance to adverse factors, rock junipers are in great demand in areas with hot climates. With their help, they create tall hedges and various coniferous compositions. The most unpretentious and known are two varieties:
Red cedar
This coniferous plant can rightfully be considered the most unpretentious and resistant among all types of junipers. In nature he grows along river banks and on windswept mountain slopes. Virginia juniper wood is resistant to rotting. In this regard, it is used to make pencils, and the plant itself is called the “pencil tree”. It is drought-resistant, frost-resistant and tolerates partial shade.
Varieties of this type of juniper are easily propagated by grafting, cuttings and seeds. Every year a large number of cones ripen on the tree, from which seeds can be obtained. After stratification, the seeds are sown in the ground and are an excellent planting material for creating a hedge. Most often used to decorate gardens and parks. seven varieties of juniper virginiana:
- The Gray Owl variety is a shrub with silver-gray needles and gracefully drooping branches. Grows up to one and a half meters. The width of its crown reaches two meters. A large number of cones berries add additional decorativeness to the shrub. Tolerates pruning well, loves sunny areas, frost-resistant.
- The Hetz variety is a plant with bluish needles that grows up to 2 meters. It can be 2-3 meters wide. Suitable only for large gardens as it quickly grows in width and height. Resistant to almost any weather conditions.
- The Pendula variety is a spreading tree up to 15 m high. Its “weeping” branches are covered with green needles with a bluish tint.
- The Burkii variety is a fast-growing, pyramidal shrub, the height of which reaches 5-6 m. At the age of ten years, with a crown diameter of 1.5 m, it has a height of 3 m. It is overgrown with non-thorny needles of a green-blue hue.
- The Ganaertii variety is an oval-columnar dense tree that grows up to 5-7 m. The branches are covered with dark green needles. In autumn, countless blue-gray cones are formed on the juniper.
- The Glauca variety is a columnar-shaped tree up to 5 m high. It branches densely and is distinguished by its silvery colored needles.
- The Blue Cloud variety is a dwarf form of juniper virginiana. It has a height of 0.4-0.5 m, a crown width of up to 1.5 m. Long branches are covered with small gray needles with a blue tint.
Medium junipers: varieties
Shrubs with a wide variety of colors and habit, characterized by good resistance to unfavorable growing conditions. The most popular varieties:
Chinese junipers: photos and varieties
Slow growing pyramidal trees, growing in China, Japan, Korea and the Primorsky Territory. Their height can reach up to 20 m, so bonsai are often formed from them. They love moist, fairly fertile soils. They tolerate drought well.
Some varieties of Chinese juniper are spreading bushes and are suitable for decorating small areas:
Cossack junipers
Most often this winter-hardy, creeping shrubs, which grow naturally in many areas of Asia and in the forests of Europe. They are often used to strengthen slopes because they are undemanding to the soil, light-loving and drought-resistant. Their varieties differ in needle color, habit and size:
Juniper horizontal
A North American plant species that can be used to decorate retaining walls and as a ground cover plant. The most popular varieties:
- The Limeglow variety is a plant that grows up to only 0.4 m in height and grows up to one and a half meters wide. Its branches are strewn with beautiful, bright golden-yellow needles, which allows the shrub to be used as an accent for any composition in the garden. Does not grow well in heavy soils and prefers well-lit areas.
- The Blue Forest variety is a dwarf shrub 0.3 m high and 1.5 m wide. Young shoots grow vertically on its creeping crown, creating the impression of a blue miniature forest. The color of juniper is especially bright and original in mid-summer.
- The Blue Chip variety is one of the most beautiful creeping junipers. A bush with horizontal shoots spreading in different directions with slightly raised ends looks like a thick silver-blue carpet. In winter, the needles change color and become purple.
- The Andorra Variegata variety is a dwarf shrub 0.4 m high. The cushion-shaped crown grows up to one and a half meters. Juniper is distinguished by bright green needles with creamy splashes in the summer, and purplish-violet needles in winter.
A drought-resistant plant with low soil fertility requirements, it grows naturally in China and on the slopes of the Eastern Himalayas. In landscape design, wide-spreading varieties with silver needles are used:
Nothing will clean and freshen the air in your garden quite like planting junipers in it. They will add their shapes and color to the garden comfort, beauty and originality. You can plant a huge tree, a tiny shrub, or make a composition from them. Any of the varieties and types of juniper will easily fit into the landscape design of a small summer cottage or large garden.
Juniper and its varieties and types
Nothing refreshes and purifies the air in the garden like junipers. And what beauty and comfort they add to a garden or dacha! What does this juniper look like? It varies depending on the type and variety. It could be a huge tree or a tiny bush. We have selected the five most common types of this conifer and added colorful photographs to the description so that you can have an idea about them.
Depending on the type, juniper can vary in height, crown shape, and needle color. There are about 70 species in total. We grow about 12, among which the most popular and beautiful is juniper
- ordinary,
- Virginia,
- horizontal
- Cossack,
- Chinese.
That's what we'll talk about. We have devoted separate articles to three popular types - Cossack, horizontal and Chinese.
Common juniper (Juniperus communis)
- This is a frost-resistant evergreen shrub 5-10 m high.
- The width of the crown depends on the variety. At the 10th year of the plant’s life, the diameter reaches about 0.5 m and the height reaches 5 m.
- The crown is dense, cone-shaped and narrower in males, and ovoid and ascending in females.
- The needles are needle-shaped and pointed, triangular in diameter, green in color with a waxy coating and with a whitish stomatal strip on the upper side.
Varieties:
"Anna Maria"- Polish slow-growing variety with a mound-shaped crown. By the age of 10, it grows only up to 30 cm in height and up to 40 cm in width.
Bruns- columnar variety, with bluish-steel prickly needles. At 10 years old it becomes 2.5 m tall.
"Depressa Aurea"- this is a low shrub by the age of 10 reaching 30 cm in height, but in diameter it reaches 2 m. The variety is interesting for its characteristic depression in the center of the coniferous “bowl” and golden yellow color. Used as a ground cover plant.
"Horstmann"– a variety with an original picturesque crown shape. The outstretched branches are directed almost horizontally, drooping. With age, the plant takes on a weeping appearance.
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)
- It is a low-growing shrub or pyramidal tree up to 20-25 m high.
- Young shoots are dark green. The foliage is scaly and needle-shaped, bluish-green.
- Unpretentious, easily tolerates city conditions, not picky about soil, required condition– drainage.
You can see a detailed description of Chinese juniper and its most popular varieties in the article dedicated to this species.
Virginia juniper (Juniperus virginiana)
- The species is also known as “Pencil tree”.
- Evergreen conifer can reach up to 30 m in height.
- The young plant has a narrow ovoid crown. With age, the crown is formed by widely spaced branches from the trunk with a diameter of 1.5 m.
- The needles are small, scaly or needle-shaped, depending on the variety.
- The foliage is dark green or bluish-green, and turns brown in winter.
- It is undemanding to soils, easy to mold, and the crown retains its given appearance for a long time.
- Frost-resistant, suitable for the European part of Russia.
Varieties:
"Skyrocket"- its narrow columnar shape with a gray-blue crown has earned great popularity in landscape design.
"Grey Owl"- spreading shrub with silver-gray needles.
"Hetz"– a fast-growing shrub variety with bluish needles.
Juniper horizontal or prostrate (Juniperus horizontalis)
- This is a creeping evergreen shrub from 30 cm to 1 m in height with long branches that are densely covered with bluish-green tetrahedral shoots.
- Crown width from 1.5 m to 2 m.
- The needles are green or gray.
- The leaves are scaly and needle-shaped.
- Undemanding to soil composition, does not tolerate dry air. It has taken root in the southern and middle zones.
If you are interested in this shrub, then look at what different varieties look like in the photo in our other article.
Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina)
- This is one of the most spectacular types of creeping shrubs up to 1.5 m high.
- The needles of young plants are needle-shaped, bluish-green on top with a clear vein in the middle, which becomes scale-like with age.
We have dedicated a separate article to it because this species is highly toxic and there are things to be aware of. Before choosing this type of juniper, be sure to read.
Varieties:
"Variegata"- spreading crown with variegated green needles. Distinguished by creamy white areas in the greenery.
"Arcadia"– the cushion-shaped crown is formed by soft green needles. Height 50 cm, diameter 2.5 m.
"Blue Danube"– bluish-green needles.
"Glauka"- gray-blue needles take on a bronze tint in winter.
"Tamariscifolia"- short needle-shaped needles from light green to bluish-green color. It differs in that its horizontal main branches are arranged in tiers.
By the way, varieties among one type of juniper can vary greatly both in the size of an adult plant and in shape. Therefore, before you settle on a particular type of juniper, find photos to find out what a particular variety looks like. When choosing a variety, also pay attention to the growth rate, if this is important to you.
"Juniper, juniper,
Blue in autumn yellow.
Give me some berries, juniper,
Give me a thorn!”
/English folk song/
Description of the plant
Juniper (Cypress family) is a coniferous plant widely in demand in landscape design. Due to the presence of a variety of shapes and sizes (from narrow and pyramidal giants to creeping dwarfs), it is suitable for realizing any gardener’s idea. Columnar junipers are used as an accent in landscape composition, and are also suitable for laying hedges. Creeping varieties look great in rock gardens and rockeries next to various ground covers and hosts. With the help of cutting and shaping, which the bush tolerates well, it can be given almost any shape.
The air of the area where juniper grows is saturated with a unique aroma: the plant emits a large amount of phytoncides.
The noble colors of evergreen needles range from bright green to steel blue, with some varieties adding shades of yellow and gold.
The remarkable benefits of juniper are:
- undemanding to soil fertility
- shade tolerance
- drought resistance
- frost resistance (-40gr)
- longevity
- highly decorative regardless of the season
Types and varieties
The following types of juniper have the largest distribution area under natural conditions in our country: common, Siberian and Cossack.
Common juniper– has creeping (up to 50 cm), shrubby (1-3 meters) and tree-like (up to 12 meters) forms. Bark of various shades gray. Distributed not only in Russia, but also throughout our latitudes, from Canada to Japan.
For planting, you should choose open, well-lit places. It is undemanding to soil fertility, but does not develop well on dense clay soils.
Common juniper does not tolerate transplantation well, so specimens taken from the forest rarely take root.
Has high frost resistance.
Common juniper cones are widely used as a spice, for making wine, smoking various products, and as a medicinal raw material.
| Variety name | Height, m | Needle color | Crown shape |
Tall |
|||
| Hibernica | 3,5 | bluish | columnar |
| Meyer | 4 | silver | wide-pointed |
| Sentinel | 4 | green | columnar |
| Suecica | 10 | green | narrow, columnar |
Medium height |
|||
| golden | narrow-conical | ||
| Horstmann | 1,5-2 | green | weeping |
| Compressa | 1 | bluish | columnar |
| Suecica nana | 1,5-2 | blue | columnar |
| Suecica aurea | 1-1,5 | yellow, yellow-green | columnar, narrow |
Creeping |
|||
| Repanda | 0,3-0,5 | dark green | creeping, round, flat |
| Hornibrookii | 0,5 | green with light stripes | creeping |
| Spotty Spreader | 0,2 | green, white-green | creeping |
| Nana aurea | 0,5 | yellow-golden | creeping |
| Green Carpet | 0,1 | light green | creeping |
Siberian juniper differs from ordinary juniper in its smaller needles and low creeping bush height. Grows in mountainous areas. More decorative than common juniper, thanks to its two-color needles - green with white shades.
Juniper Cossack- a widespread shrub in the European part of Russia, Southern Urals, Altai, mountains of Central Asia. Creeping forms predominate. Very unpretentious and drought-resistant, it grows with a dense cover due to the easy rooting of branches. As it grows it may take large area, so perennial flowers and shrubs should be planted next to it with caution. It lends itself well to cutting and shaping. It has good endurance - tolerates both drought and frost. Looks good against the background of a lawn or in a rock garden. It differs from common juniper in the toxicity of its cones and specific odor. Upon contact with the ground, the branches take root on their own. In addition to decorative functions, it can also perform practical ones: its roots strengthen the slopes well.
| Variety name | Height, m | Needle color | Crown shape |
| Tamariscifolia | 1 | bluish | prostrate |
| Variegata | 0,5 | green with white highlights | prostrate |
| Cupressifolia | 0,5 | bluish-green | wide, creeping |
| Erecta | 2 | dark green | pyramidal |
| Arcaida | 0,5 | light green | prostrate |
| Fastigiata | 5-8 | dark green | narrow-columnar |
| Femina | 1-1,5 | dark green | wide spread |
Juniper squamosus- a shrub with dense branches and dark brown bark. Habitat: China, Taiwan, Himalayas. Differs from other species in less frost resistance. It has a dense, decorative crown. The needles are sharp-needled, very hard.
| Variety name | Height, m | Needle color | Crown shape |
| Blue carpet | 0,3 | blue | flat, wide |
| Blue Star | 1,5-2 | blue | wide, dense, semicircular |
| Meyeri | 2-5 | bluish | prostrate |
| golden flame | 2-5 | yellow-variegated | prostrate |
| Loderi | 1-1,5 | green-blue | weak-pointed |
(prostrate) in nature lives mainly in the USA and Canada. Creeping shrub with long branches. Doesn't tolerate well low humidity air. Characterized by slow growth.
| Variety name | Height, m | Needle color | Crown shape |
| Admirabilis | 0,25 | bluish | braided, dense |
| Adpressa | 0,15 | green, white-green | braided, dense |
| Bar Harbor | dark green, gray-green | thick, lying, prostrate | |
| Blue chip | 0,3 | blue | compact |
| Douglasii | 0,5 | silver-green | creeping, whip-like |
| Golden Carpet | 0,1 | yellow-green | creeping, dense |
| Blue Forest | 0,4 | silver blue | dense, raised up |
| Winter Blue | 0,3 | silver-green, blue in winter | creeping, shoots raised |
| Prince of Wales | 0,3 | blue | creeping |
| Limeglow | 0,4 | lemon yellow | vase shape |
| Ice Blue | 0,15 | bluish-green | creeping, with long shoots |
| Hughes | 0,5 | silver blue | creeping |
Chinese juniper grows naturally in China and other Asian countries. It has tree-like and creeping forms. Quite hardy, but in dry climates it may suffer from lack of air humidity. Slow growing, does not tolerate frost well when young.
| Variety name | Height, m | Needle color | Crown shape |
| Strict | 2,5 | bluish-green | narrow-pointed |
| Blue Alps | 2,5-4 | green-silver | compact |
| Spartan | 6 | green | columnar |
| Plumosa aurea | 1 | yellow | wide, spread out |
| Leeana | 10 | bright green | columnar, dense |
| Ketelerii | 10 | green | pin-shaped, dense |
| Gold coast | 1 | golden yellow | wide, flat |
| Pfitzeriana aurea | 1 | yellow-green | wide, spreading |
The most common are tall columnar shapes. Can be used to create a hedge. It grows naturally in Canada and the USA, and in Russia it is widely represented in parks due to its sustainability and high decorative value. Shade-tolerant, winter-hardy, drought-resistant. Does not tolerate transplantation well. In places where it grows naturally, its wood is used to make pencils. In plantings it goes well with deciduous trees and shrubs. It is not picky regarding the soil, grows well on loams and clay soils.
Rock juniper. It grows naturally in the USA. There are both tree and shrub forms. Close to Juniperus virginiana. Does not tolerate shading well, spreading branches suffer from snowfall and need to be tied up.
| Variety name | Height, m | Needle color | Crown shape |
| Blue Arrow | 2-3 | gray-blue | columnar |
| Globe | 2 | silver-green | round |
| Skyrocket | 3 | gray-green | narrow |
| Repens | 0,5 | blue | creeping |
| Table tor | 2 | silver blue | spreading |
Landing
Plants with a closed root system purchased from a nursery can be planted at any time of the year. It is enough to provide the seedling with good watering. Planting of rooted cuttings and seedlings in a permanent place is carried out in spring or autumn.
Choose a sunny place for planting. In the shade, plants with variegated needles will inevitably lose their decorative effect.
Although the plant is undemanding to the soil, when planting it is necessary to proceed from the area where it grows in its natural environment. The soil for Cossack and common juniper needs to be slightly alkaline (lime or dolmite flour is added to the planting site in the fall). Some species do well on rocky soils. Juniperus virginiana prefers loams and black soil. It is necessary to choose a place and neighbors taking into account the growth of the plant.
How to plant juniper correctly:
- We prepare a planting hole measuring 1 by 1 m.
- For plants that do not like stagnant moisture, we arrange drainage: pour crushed stone and broken bricks into the bottom of the hole.
- Carefully remove the seedling from the container and lower it into the hole (without deepening it).
- Cover with soil and water generously.
Planted plants need more careful regular watering than in any other supplements. In winter, their needles may be damaged by heavy snowfall, so the branches of tall and medium-sized shrubs must be tied up. To prevent burning, creeping forms are covered with spunbond, but usually only young plants need this in the 1st and 2nd years after planting.
Important! Replanting juniper is undesirable: it is very difficult to dig up the plant without damaging the tap root.
When choosing a type of shrub, be guided by its place of growth in nature. For regions with a hot climate, the most suitable are Cossack and Virginia juniper. For the middle latitudes of Russia - Chinese, horizontal, scaly, ordinary.
The plant propagates by seeds, rooted layering and cuttings. Before planting, the seeds must be stratified (keep in the refrigerator for about a month), and before planting, scarify - cut off the hard shell. For better germination, add soil from under adult bushes to the sowing site. Shoots appear in 1-3 years.
The simplest method of propagation is by rooted layering. In creeping forms, branches often take root on their own when they come into contact with the ground. Such a branch can be carefully trimmed and transplanted to a new place with a lump of earth.
Green cuttings for propagation are taken only from young plants, cut into pieces and soaked in a solution of a root formation stimulator. Cuttings of columnar varieties are planted straight, while cuttings of creeping varieties are planted obliquely. The appearance of new buds indicates that the cutting has taken root.
Juniper diseases
1. Physiological drying of needles.
Occurs in winter, especially on the sunny side. In the needles, under the influence of the sun, active photosynthesis begins to occur, for which the roots do not provide nutrition, since the ground is frozen. Columnar crowns are especially affected. Prevention - wrapping with covering material, pouring warm water on the roots.
2. Rust.
A fungal disease that appears as orange growths on branches. Diseased branches must be cut out and burned. Prevention – treatment with fungicidal preparations (“Tilt”, “Skor”, “Bayleton”, “Vectra”), separation of plantings with fruit trees(apple tree, pear tree), since it is from them that the junipers become infected.
A fungal disease that appears at the beginning of summer: last year’s needles turn yellow, then black dots appear on it. Dried branches must be cut out and burned. Prevention: treatment with fungicidal preparations (Skor, Ridomil Gold, Strobi, Quadris).
4. Drying of branches.
Can affect junipers of all types. It appears in the spring: first small branches turn yellow, then the disease covers an increasingly larger area of the bush. Dark spots appear on the needles and bark. Caused by several types of fungi. The reason for the appearance is incorrect landing plants: denseness, heavy soils, stagnant water. Diseased, withered branches must be cut out and burned, and fallen needles must be collected. If the affected area is large, the bush is uprooted. For prevention, it is necessary to follow planting rules and treat juniper in spring and autumn with fungicidal preparations.
Junipers in landscape design
Junipers are widely used in landscape design. Evergreen conifers are especially beautiful in the winter landscape, and in summer they highlight beautifully flowering plants. Shrubs of dwarf creeping forms are indispensable for rockeries and alpine slides. Tall specimens will create a beautiful accent in compositions with an all-round view, and a row of columnar junipers will cover the fence in the background. Pruning and shaping juniper allows you to give it almost any shape.
Examples ready-made compositions using junipers:
1. For illuminated places.
The basis of the composition is decorative conifers. Primroses will begin to bloom in the spring, followed by spirea and daylilies in the summer. This composition will look beautiful against the background lawn grass, it includes:
- Day-lily
- Primrose
- Spiraea japonica Little Princess
- Thuja occidentalis Smaragd
- Thuja occidentalis Danica
- Juniper Andorra
2. In lilac tones for illuminated places and partial shade.
The purple leaves of bladderwrack, barberry and heuchera are set off by white clusters of spirea and a scattering of cinquefoil flowers. Blue juniper needles give the composition nobility and depth. Composition:
- Heuchera Palace Purpl
- Barberry Atropurpurea Nana
- Cinquefoil Royal Flush
- Rock juniper Blue Arrow
- Juniper scaly Blue Carpet
- Spiraea Grefsheim
- Diabolo
