Juniper average pfitzeriana glauka description. The amazing juniper is a beautiful tree with many useful properties. Juniper planting rules

Juniper forests are a rarity. Despite the fact that the plant is a long-liver and its life span can be calculated for centuries, it is not able to withstand human cutting. Another thing is pleasing, the plant has gained a second wind, its splendor and healing effect have been appreciated by amateur gardeners, townspeople, and landscaping specialists.

Medium (J. x media)
Only male specimens are known, the shoots of the plant are arcuate, drooping at the ends. At first, the crown is widely spreading, then becomes almost vertical. Needles are characterized by the presence of two types: scaly and needle-shaped. Known among the most overgrown adult bushes grew up to 3 m in height over 5 m in width.
Frost-resistant and well-growing shrub adorns small gardens.

Scaled Meyeri (J. Squamata "Meyeri")
Low-growing scaly junipers grow up to one and a half meters in height. The needles have a bluish tint. Juniper scaly "Meyeri" is often used in landscape design due to the silver-bluish hanging tips of the shoots that appear in May-June.

Common Horstmann (J. communis Horstmann)
Hanging branches and a spreading crown give the Horstmann juniper a "weeping" shape. An adult specimen can reach 3 m in height, while the crown diameter is almost the same size. The plant is photophilous, undemanding, resistant to cold. The needles are needle-shaped, light green in color. The growth per year is approximately 15 cm. Unlike others, this green creation can be planted in the garden in the most prominent place.

Juniper Daursky

Homeland - the Far East. It is still quite a rare visitor to personal plots and nurseries. This is a creeping, light-loving shrub, up to 0.5 meters high, with delicate blue-green needles. Growing, from a compact form it transforms into a creeping crown covering 3-5 m of area. The bush is frost-resistant and tolerates drought well. Daurian juniper is great for rock gardens, retaining walls.

Juniper Features

• Fruits ripening in two seasons: in the first year of life they have green color, and in the second year the color changes to black with a blue tint;
• The plant is used for the preparation of medicinal infusions, because it contains many healing substances.

Many species, varieties and forms of juniper grow in the gardens of central Russia. Almost all plants grow well on any loose soil.

1. general description
2. Common types
3. common juniper
4. Virginia
5. Cossack
6. Chinese
7. coastal
8. rocky
9. Scaly
10. Application
11. Landing
12. plant care

The genus of junipers belongs to the cypress family and includes more than 60 species of evergreen shrubs and trees. The name comes from the Celtic word Jeneprus, which means "thorny". These plants are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere from the subpolar zones to the subtropics. These rocks have existed on the planet for 50 million years. Their peculiarity is the attachment of varieties to certain ecosystems in a rather limited space. The habitats of junipers are discontinuous.

general description

In height, even tree forms rarely reach 12 m, and the diameter of the trunks is about 20 cm. The roots are taproot, they penetrate the soil to a great depth. Shrub forms are from 1 to 10 m in length. There are also dwarf creeping species that do not exceed 40–70 cm. The bark of young plants is reddish in color, becoming dark brown with age. Shoots branched and flexible. The crowns are sprawling, dense, ovoid, pyramidal or irregular in shape. Leaves up to 2 cm long, bluish-green, needle-shaped or scaly, collected in whorls. The kidneys are naked. Most junipers are dioecious, but there are also monoecious species. Male specimens have spikelets consisting of paired stamens. The carpels of the female spikelets have 1–2 ovules each, and they themselves are collected in whorls in pairs. Juniper fruits are round cones of a bluish, gray or black hue. Their shell consists of densely closed thin scales. Inside the berries are several seeds separated by partitions.

Junipers are long-lived plants. Many of them reach 400-600 years of age. Almost all breeds prefer sandy, moderately nutritious, slightly alkaline soils, but can exist on poor podzolic, stony soils and limestones. Most species are photophilous. These evergreens, like all conifers, emit phytoncides that are detrimental to various pathogenic microflora. When rubbed in the hands, the needles emit a sharp resinous odor. In places where juniper grows, the air is cleaner and healthier.

In the natural environment, the plant reproduces by seeds. In culture, cuttings or grafting are often used.

Common types

In their natural environment, junipers grow in mixed forests. In North America, Asia, as well as the Mediterranean, tall shrubs make up small, rare pure forests. creeping species located in foothill areas, on rocky slopes.

common juniper

It has the widest distribution area. It is found throughout Europe, in Siberia, North America. Other names of the plant: juniper, veres. It is a dioecious shrub about 4–7 m in height, can rise up to 10–12 m. The trunks are thin, about 10–20 cm in diameter, the bark is fibrous, reddish-brown. The crown is dense, cone-shaped or rounded.

The needles are trihedral, about 1.5–2 cm long, dark green in color, covered with a translucent wax coating. Common juniper cones are dark blue, 0.6–0.9 mm in size, with a characteristic resinous aroma.

Veres grows very slowly: it stretches 15–20 cm per year. The life span of a shrub is more than 200 years.

Virginia

This is a monoecious tree species native to North America. Individual specimens reach 1.5 m in diameter, rising up to 30 m. In young plants, the bark has a gray-green color, darkening with time. The branches form a narrow ovoid crown. It expands with age. The leaves of the Verginsky juniper resemble cypress in structure: short, scaly, silver-green in color, with the lower part tightly adjacent to the branches. The berries are the same as those of the common species: bluish-blue and fragrant.

Based on this species, decorative varieties were bred for landscaping streets and parks. In a temperate climate northern latitudes virginian juniper is planted instead of cypresses.

Cossack

Miniature undersized shrub, with a crown height of not more than 1.5 m. The shoots are flexible, covered with small-needle light green needles. Cossack juniper is best suited for landscape design. Its advantages include unpretentiousness to care, natural conditions. Withstands sudden changes in temperature strong winds and drought. A deep root system allows it to do without watering for a long time, extracting moisture from distant soil layers. shrub growth Cossack type is no more than 3-4 cm per year, which allows you not to worry about a haircut for a long time. Many creeping varieties were derived from it.

A significant drawback of this juniper is poisonousness: needles, berries and bark contain potent alkaloids, so it must be handled with care.

Chinese

Tall dense shrubs up to 20 m in length, found in the Far East. Individual varieties are monoecious. The crown is wide, sprawling, irregularly shaped. The needles are short, soft, in the form of dense scales about 3 mm in length. reddish bark Chinese juniper tends to flake off and fall off in thin strips.

coastal

Dwarf shrub no higher than 40–70 cm with needle needles about 1 cm long. Reddish bark. Shoots are long and creeping. Coastal species refers to slow-growing breeds. In a year, the growth of bushes increases by only 2–3 cm. The fruits are blue cone berries with a pale bluish bloom. This juniper is valued for its decorative qualities. Light green needles have grayish-blue stripes, giving the crown a beautiful sheen.

rocky

Plants with an original narrow diamond-shaped crown resembling tall columns. The growth of this juniper can be up to 12 m. The trunks are straight and thin. Lateral shoots are directed almost vertically upwards. Needles in the form of thin short scales of bluish-gray, dark green and olive color. Individual needles are needle-shaped and long. This species is popular with landscape designers.

Scaly

Low shrub up to 1.5 m tall. The bark is grey-brown. The crown is dark green, dense. Needles in the form of wide lanceolate scales, very dense and hard, about 1 cm in length. The obsolete leaves do not leave the branches for a long time, giving them a withered appearance. The berries are shiny, almost black.

Application

Thanks to decorative qualities it is actively used for landscaping urban landscapes, gardens, parks. Extensive plantings are especially suitable for areas with polluted and dusty air. The needles of plants clean the city atmosphere well.

A powerful branched root system makes these rocks useful for strengthening the slopes of ravines. The richness of varieties allows in the embodiment of exquisite design solutions. Juniper bushes create a magnificent ensemble with other garden plants, are used as hedges. Bonsai varieties grow well indoors.

Almost all parts of the plant are useful.

Juniper wood has a high density: about 640 kg/cu.m. dried. The sapwood of the logs is narrow, yellowish in color. The core occupies most of the massif, grayish or light brown, more solid. Annual rings are expressed in a greenish or reddish-brown dark pattern. Resin passages are not visible, core rays are invisible. The texture of the wood is very beautiful, the layers of fibers have a striped or wavy structure with contrasting lines. Manual and machining this timber lends itself well, is distinguished by high operational properties, does not crack for a long time, does not swell from moisture, is resistant to fungal infection .

Juniper wood is used to make barrels for canned fruit, kvass mugs and kitchen utensils. Brackets, pencils, hooks for hanging meat hams are machined from it. Butter, milk and other perishable products are kept fresh for a long time in juniper containers.

Wood resin is used in industry to make paints, varnishes and turpentine. The needles give an essential oil used in aromatherapy and as an antiseptic for colds.

Juniper berries in most species, with rare exceptions, are edible. They contain many vitamins, anthocyanins, antioxidants, sugars, beneficial bitterness. They are used as a spice for meat, vegetable dishes, marinades, which gives the products an unusual flavor. Juniper fruit jam is not only a dessert, but also a remedy. Syrup, tea and decoction are used to get rid of lung diseases, genitourinary infections. The active substances of the berries relieve the symptoms of fever, rheumatism and arthritis, have an anti-inflammatory effect, remove toxins from the body, and support the functioning of the cardiovascular system. There is a lot of inulin in the juice of berries, which is necessary for patients with diabetes mellitus.

Landing

Germination of juniper from seeds requires from 1 to 3 years; this method is of little use for planting in house territories and gardens. If desired, you can sow seedlings in containers with soil, set them in a lit place and water the substrate regularly. Planting shoots in open ground produced in the fourth year. This should be done in the spring, in April or May. In autumn, seedlings can suffer from wind and frost. Fruiting of independently germinated shrubs is possible in 7-10 years.

Buying seedlings in nurseries or cuttings allows you to quickly acquire beautiful useful plants.

It is advisable to choose a sunny place for juniper, especially decorative varieties. The lack of light is well tolerated only common view. Any soil will do. When planting, you need to calculate the distance between seedlings in advance: for large broad types it should be at least 1.5 m, compact ones can be placed every 50–70 cm.

The size of the pits for juniper is twice the volume of the roots. The bottom is ¼ filled with drainage: small stones or crushed bricks, a layer of a mixture of peat, soil and nitroammophosphorus fertilizer is laid on top. Within 2 weeks, you need to give the holes rest. After placing the seedlings, the pits are covered with soil. The neck of the root should be at the level of the surface. Each tree is watered and then the surrounding soil is mulched with sawdust.

Juniper cuttings are harvested in the spring, cutting off annual shoots 15–20 cm long. They are added dropwise in a peat-sand mixture and left in a dark place until rooting, moisturizing regularly. From the container, after 1-2 years, the cuttings are transplanted into open ground.

Creeping varieties are propagated by layering. To do this, a small incision is made on the selected shoot and pinned to the ground, lightly sprinkling it. On the next year the shoot takes root, it is separated and planted in the chosen place.

plant care

These plants are easy to care for. In the early years and during the dry period, it is recommended to pour 10 liters of water under the roots every 3 weeks. Before this, you need to loosen the soil around. Fertilizers must be applied to poor soil before each watering; additional feeding is required once a season. In the hot time in the evenings, it is useful to spray the needles.

Large varieties can be pruned regularly, giving the branches the desired shape. But there are no fast-growing species among junipers, so you should not cut off large volumes of the crown. Usually, shearing is resorted to when creating hedges, and single shrubs are left with their natural look.

Prevention of juniper diseases is carried out in spring and autumn, spraying the shoots with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Juniper Pfitzeriana is a coniferous evergreen shrub with a wide spreading crown. Recently, he began to gain popularity among fans of the formation coniferous compositions.

Properties and features

Shrubs of this species have the following parameters and characteristics:

• height - from 1 to 3 m;
• crown diameter - up to 5 m;
• the growth rate of different varieties are not the same, but it is predominantly a fast-growing species;
• the crown is wide, sprawling, most often creeping;
• skeletal branches grow evenly;
• the ends of the branches hanging;
• needles can be either scaly or needle-like;
• . color - from rich green to lemon yellow.

In nature, it grows in North America, namely, in the United States of America, in Canada, in northern Mexico.

Most popular varieties

Juniper Pfitzeriana Aurea was obtained in the United States of America at the beginning of the 20th century in the nursery "Dhill". In Europe, he appeared in 1937, after which he began his march through botanical gardens and nurseries around the world.

Its main characteristics are as follows:

• fast growing;
• height - up to 3.5 m;
• crown width - up to 5 m;
• durable - up to 100 years;
• the needles are pointed, scaly and needle-like;
• crown color varies with age and season.

When placing junipers, special attention should be paid to the water regime of the site. If you cannot find a place with an optimal water regime, then you first need to drainage works.

However, we should not forget that the juniper does not like drought, so you need to provide for the possibility of watering. It will help to solve this problem and abundant mulching with leaves or sawdust. This must be done immediately after landing. Subsequently, mulching can be repeated if the bushes are not surrounded by other woody plants or lawn. During a drought or just in hot weather, juniper responds well not only to watering, but also to sprinkling along the crown.

In landscape design, junipers are especially popular because of their diversity and special decorative value. They look good with groups of firs, firs and pines.

With their help, you can create a colorful ensemble along with beautifully blooming flowers. deciduous shrubs, for example with spirea and vesicle.

These plants are unpretentious, well tolerate the harsh conditions of large cities. There is one more valuable property - all of them, both large and small, live a long time. If you plant several bushes with different shades needles, then a variegated and evergreen composition with a pleasant coniferous aroma is guaranteed for 100 years.

Juniper pfitzeriana (video)

Juniper plant in the photo

Decorative types of junipers both in personal plots and in Russian gardens are still relatively rare. And not because they are not worthy of due attention. On the contrary, judging by the description of juniper species, among conifers these trees are perhaps the most beautiful. They are distinguished by a variety of shapes, graceful needles and decorative fruits.

In addition, there is hardly another natural air ozonizer that cleans it from harmful organisms in a short time and in a significant radius. No wonder there is an aura of benevolence and peace among junipers. By right, this plant is medicinal.

The homeland of the juniper is the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, less often the mountains of the tropical part of Central America, the West Indies and East Africa. Juniper thickets live in the undergrowth of light-coniferous or light-leaved forests on sandy and even stony mountain soils.

In Europe and Asia, more than 20 species of juniper tree are known, in Russia no more than five or six are common. They are very different both in appearance and biological requirements.

Juniper is an evergreen coniferous plant belonging to the Cypress family. These can be trees from 12 to 30 m high. There are also ornamental shrubs junipers - creeping (up to 40 cm in height) and erect (up to 1-3 m). The leaves (needles) of this plant are needle-shaped or scaly.

Look at the photo what juniper looks like different types:

Juniper
Juniper

The plant is monoecious or dioecious, depending on the species, age and environmental conditions. Male spikelets are yellowish with scaly stamens, female - cones - berry-like, with a bluish bloom, bearing 1-10 seeds. Flowering - in April-May. Cones usually ripen in the second year after flowering.

What do the roots of a juniper plant look like? The root system of these trees and shrubs is pivotal, with developed lateral branching. Powerful roots are sometimes located in the upper soil horizon.

When describing the juniper tree, it is especially worth noting the strong coniferous smell emitted by these plants and due to the content of essential oils in the needles. Volatiles have a pronounced phytoncidal effect. The coniferous smell kills microorganisms and repels insects, in particular mosquitoes.

The smell of juniper can improve the well-being of those suffering from angina pectoris, relieve insomnia. The beneficial role of sleeping pads with dry juniper bark and steam, bath brooms, relieving joint and neurological pains, is well known.

Twigs of all types of coniferous trees, juniper with live needles, are popularly used by the people to fumigate an infected room or simply to freshen the air.

The berries of this plant are an excellent raw material for the confectionery, alcoholic beverage industry and perfumery.

Common juniper in the photo

Common juniper- a plant in the form of a shrub or tree (up to 12 m in height) with a cone-shaped crown.

Young shoots of this species are green at first, then reddish, glabrous, round. The bark of branches and trunks is grayish-brown, dark, scaly-scaly. Needles in whorls of three, shiny, lanceolate-linear, 1-1.5 cm long, dark green or bluish-green with a hard, prickly top.

The plant is dioecious. male flowers- yellow spikelets, consisting of thyroid scales with 4-6 anthers. Female - resemble green buds of three scales and three ovules. Blooms in May - June. Fruiting begins at 5-10 years of age. Cone berries are single or in several pieces, spherical, up to 10 mm in diameter.

As you can see in the photo of juniper, the fruits of the tree in the mature state are dark blue with a bluish wax coating:

Common juniper
Common juniper

The berries have a resinous smell and a sweetish-pleasant taste. Contains up to 40% sugar. A bountiful harvest is repeated in 3-4 years. The cones are collected, shaking them on a film or cloth spread under the plants, and dried under a canopy.

This juniper is undemanding to soils, cold-resistant, does not tolerate drought well. When transplanted without a clod of earth, it takes root with difficulty. Propagated by seeds that ripen within 2-3 years and have an oblong shape and brown-brown color.

known decorative forms common juniper:

Juniper "Pyramidal" in the photo

"Pyramidal" with a columnar crown,

"Squeezed"- undersized shrub with dense dark green needles,

"Horizontal"- low creeping shrub, densely covered with blue-green needles, sharp and prickly.

Look at the photo of the varieties of this type of juniper:

Juniper
Juniper

These plants are propagated by cuttings and grafting. Common juniper and its decorative forms grow very slowly. They do not tolerate excess salt in the soil and often die during transplantation, which must be taken into account when growing them.

The medicinal properties of common juniper were known and used in Ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece and Russia. It is a good urine and choleretic, expectorant and antimicrobial agent. And the North American Indians, for example, kept tuberculosis patients in juniper thickets, not allowing them to leave until they were fully recovered.

In the 17th century in Russia, oil and alcohol were made from juniper fruits. The latter was used to make special vodka, which was considered a reliable remedy for almost all diseases. The oil was used as an effective antiseptic in the treatment of wounds, burns, and frostbite.

The fruits of this juniper are used as a seasoning. They give a special forest flavor to poultry and game dishes. The fruits are also used as a substitute for coffee. They still make jelly, marmalade, syrup, which is added to kissels, confectionery and bakery products.

Common juniper cones contain essential oils and 20-25% glucose; they are not inferior to grapes in terms of sugar content. They are used in medicine as a diuretic, in the alcoholic beverage industry for the production of gin, in the confectionery - for the production of syrups. This type of juniper is widely used in homeopathy, as well as in Tibetan medicine.

Pay attention to the photo - this type of juniper in summer cottages and household plots is used in single and group plantings, as well as for hedges:

Juniper in cottages and household plots

The name of this type of juniper is more often heard than others, since it is the most studied and used as a medicinal plant.

Juniper fruits are harvested in autumn. They are fragrant, black-brown in color and have a sweet-spicy taste. Infusions and decoctions are prepared from them (1 tablespoon of crushed fruits per glass of water), which are prescribed as a diuretic and disinfectant for diseases of the kidneys, bladder, kidney stones and liver. Decoctions are also used for gout, rheumatism, arthritis, helping to remove mineral salts from the body.

For external use, both berries and needles are used - for skin diseases, gout, arthritis.

You can also be treated with fresh fruits, taking them only after consulting your doctor first, on an empty stomach, first 2-4, then increasing by 1 berry daily, up to 13-15, after which the dose is also gradually reduced to 5 pcs. Fruits are contraindicated in acute inflammatory processes in the kidneys.

Juniper Cossack in the photo

Juniper Cossack- low creeping shrub with recumbent or ascending branches, covered with dense needles with a silvery tint.

Unlike the common juniper, the Cossack cones are poisonous. They are small, spherical, brown-black in color with a bluish bloom and a very unpleasant odor.

Touching the ground, the branches of the plant can take root. Growing, the juniper forms large curtains up to 3-4 m in diameter. This species is very drought-resistant, photophilous and winter-hardy, loves calcareous soil, but grows on all types of soil. Due to its unusual appearance, this juniper is indispensable in landscaping, when strengthening rocky slopes, in decorative groups on lawns.

When propagating this type of juniper with green cuttings, the standard planting material it will turn out 2-3 years earlier than from seeds, and the signs will be completely preserved mother plant. Reproduction by layering is the fastest and easy way vegetative propagation Cossack juniper, but very unproductive.

Such garden varieties of this type of juniper are known as

Juniper "columnar"
Juniper "upright",

"columnar", "upright",

Juniper form "cypress-leaved"
Juniper form "variegated"

"cypress-leaved", "variegated"

Juniper form "tamariksolistnaya"

and "tamarix-leaved".

The most interesting is the "white-bordered" with almost white needles at the ends of the branches. Each is decorative in its own way and differs in shade and shape of needles.

Juniper Cossack comb-leaved- dioecious, low, almost creeping shrub with smooth, reddish-gray bark. Cones up to 7 mm in diameter, brown-black, with a bluish coating, contain 2-6 pcs. seeds. Frost-resistant, drought-resistant.

Juniper Chinese in the photo

juniper chinensis- trees or shrubs with a columnar or pyramidal crown. Young shoots are grayish or yellowish green, rounded, later brownish. The bark of the trunks is brownish-gray. The needles are predominantly opposite or, in young specimens, partially whorled (cross-opposite and needle-shaped in whorls of three), on the shoots - scaly, rhombic, blunt, tightly pressed to the shoot up to 1.5 mm in length. Propagated by seeds and cuttings.

Cone berries solitary or in groups, spherical or ovoid, 6-10 mm in size, mature - blue-black.

This type of juniper prefers fertile, well-moistened soils. Does not tolerate drought well. Without visible damage, it tolerates a drop in temperature to -30 °.

As you can see in the photo, this decorative juniper used for single, group and alley plantings:

Juniper on the plot
Juniper on the plot

Of the numerous decorative forms in summer cottages, they grow the “variegata” form - with whitish tips of the shoots, “fitzeriana” - with sprawling, upward-pointing branches and drooping branches. The variegated undersized form is interesting - with arched branches and drooping greenish and golden shoots.

This type of juniper can be grown as a bonsai.

Here you can find photos, names and descriptions of other varieties of juniper suitable for growing in the garden.

Juniper Siberian in the photo

Siberian juniper- undersized (up to 1 m) creeping shrub with short sharp dark green prickly needles. Differs in winter hardiness and unpretentiousness to growing conditions.

Juniper virginian in the photo

Red cedar- monoecious evergreen tree. This juniper looks like a real giant - its height reaches up to 20 m. Its homeland is North America. The crown is narrow-ovate, the needles are long (up to 13 mm) and prickly. Cones ripen in autumn, already in the first year. They are dark blue, with a wax coating, up to 5 mm in diameter, sweet in taste, contain 1-2 seeds. Grows quickly, especially with sufficient moisture. Less hardy than Siberian and ordinary. Easily propagated by seeds when sown in autumn or stratified - in spring. It tolerates pruning well, but transplanting is bad.

Among the common garden forms of virginian juniper there are plants with columnar and pyramidal crowns; with drooping and spreading branches with gray needles, with a rounded spherical crown and bright green needles.

Juniper longiferous- tree or shrub. Young shoots are greenish, later - brown, round, glabrous. The bark is scaly-scaly, dark gray in color. The needles are pointed, three in whorls, 15-20 mm long, dark green or bluish, hard, prickly, shiny.

In this species of juniper plant, cone berries are single and in groups, spherical or oval 5-10 mm in diameter, mature ones are black, with a slight bluish bloom. Triangular seeds.

This type of juniper is suitable for group and single plantings, for decorative design slopes and rocky places, because it is not picky about soils and moisture. Propagated by seeds.

Forms with a spherical crown and a compact pyramidal bush are known.

Juniper undersized- It is mainly a shrub up to 1 m tall. Stems recumbent, rooting. Young shoots are green, bare. The bark of branches and trunks is brown, on old ones it is scaly-scaly. This species of juniper has needles in whorls of three, prickly, hard, up to 1 cm long, bluish-green.

Cone berries solitary or in groups, almost spherical, 5-10 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish bloom, seeds 2-3 in number, wrinkled, tetrahedral.

In the design of the garden, it is suitable for single plantings on lawns, discounts, rocky hills, for landscaping slopes. Undemanding to soils.

Among natural forms undersized species the most popular is "Glauka" with lying branches and bluish-gray needles, as well as the "Rent" form with obliquely upward directed arcuate branches with weakly gray needles. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering.

Juniper reddish- tree or shrub. Young shoots and needles are green, and later acquire a yellowish color. The bark is brown-gray, flaky. On top of the needles are two original white stripes. The shape of the needles is grooved, prickly and shiny.

Cone berries are spherical, 10 mm in diameter, mature - reddish-brown, shiny, without a bluish bloom.

The species is decorative with yellow needles and reddish cones. It differs from other species by insufficient cold resistance. Propagated by seeds, which are 2-3 pieces in a cone-berry. They are brown and slightly trihedral.

Juniper high- a tree up to 15 m high. Young shoots are bluish-dark green, compressed tetrahedral, glabrous. The bark of branches and trunks is brownish-red, exfoliating with age. The needles are crosswise opposite, 2-5 mm long, pointed, ovate-lanceolate in shape, rarely needle-shaped, bluish-green.

Cone berries are solitary, spherical, 10-12 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish bloom, brown seeds.

Pay attention to the photo of this variety of juniper - it is very decorative, has a beautiful, dense, wide-pyramidal or ovoid crown. Suitable for single and group landings, grows well on dry rocky slopes.

Like most other types of juniper, it is winter-hardy, drought-resistant, undemanding to the soil, tolerates pruning well, so it can be used in borders. Propagated by seeds.

juniper scaly- slow growing shrub with an oval crown. AT young age- the crown is rounded, the branches are raised, bluish-green. The needles are needle-shaped, prickly, gray-gray, short, dense, collected in whorls. Fruits - red-brown cones; when ripe in the second year, they become almost black.

grow up various forms this juniper, among which there are plants with a spherical, vase-shaped, flattened crown.

In our gardens this species juniper is most often found in the form:

"Blue Star" is a shrub 40-45 cm high and a crown diameter of 50 cm with silver-blue and very prickly needles. He looks good on Alpine rollercoaster as well as in containers.

It is quite frost-resistant, but often suffers from the spring sun.

Juniper propagation methods and growing conditions (with photo)

The method of propagation of juniper is chosen depending on the species - by seeds, green cuttings, layering.

Seeds ripen in cones a year or two after flowering. The cones are left hanging on the tree until planting. Sowing is best done in the fall (November) in the sowing furrows, into which it is necessary to introduce soil from under an adult juniper plant, meaning the introduction of mycorrhiza into the new soil. If sowing is done in the spring, then preliminary stratification of seeds in wet sand is necessary, in the first month at a temperature of +20 ... + 30 °, and then 4 months - at + 14 ... + 15 °. The substrate for sowing is 1 part of sifted sod land and 1 part of coniferous sawdust.

As shown in the photo, when propagating juniper, good results are obtained by planting green cuttings in greenhouses, and in summer - in greenhouses:

Juniper propagation
Juniper propagation

Green cuttings are indispensable for the propagation of garden forms. Cuttings are taken with a “heel” only from young plants.

The substrate - 1 part peat, 1 part juniper needle - is placed on a layer of compost covered with a layer of soddy soil taken from under a juniper plant. Cuttings are sprayed 4-5 times a day. Most suitable time for cutting cuttings - April. For better rooting cuttings should be treated with a growth stimulator, immersing them for 24 hours in a solution of Epin, Zircon, Rooting, Kornevin, Kornerost or another drug.

One of the main conditions for growing junipers is compliance with the temperature regime. Optimum temperature air during grafting should be + 23 ... + 24 ° at relative humidity 80-83%.

After 1-1.5 months, a thickening appears on the juniper cuttings - callus. Immediately after that, they are transferred to the ridges, where they winter.

The care and cultivation of junipers is not difficult, since all types of these plants are unpretentious, developing well on a wide variety of soils up to sands and wetlands, but preference is given to light nutrient substrates.

Most species are photophilous, resistant to drought, sharp temperature fluctuations and damage by diseases and pests.

Given the peculiarities of growing junipers, it is impossible to dig the soil under these plants in autumn in order to avoid damage to the roots. trunk circle should be covered with a layer of fallen needles.

When growing juniper in the garden, all types of these plants are unpretentious, that is, they are able to endure frost and drought, practically do not require fertilizers and pruning. However, there are certainly secrets of agricultural technology for growing junipers in culture, as evidenced by their frequent loss of decorativeness, and sometimes sudden death.

Planting a seedling permanent place is fraught with difficulties, since juniper does not like transplants. A tree for transplantation is dug in a circle and, together with a clod of earth, is transferred to a new place. At the same time, the goal is to minimally injure the root system.

For successful juniper care, planting dates are determined by root growth. Juniper has two growth periods: early spring (March) and mid-summer (June-July). However, according to weather conditions, the second, summer period is not suitable due to drought. At the same time, planting in the fall can be considered appropriate. During the winter, the plant is dormant, and with the onset of spring, it begins to actively take root.

These photos show the planting and care of juniper on personal plot:

Juniper in the garden

Junipers are worthy of wide application in decoration. summer cottages. Their decorative forms are especially picturesque. They are not only beautiful, but, releasing phytoncides, like all conifers, they heal our environment.

Each of the most common types of junipers has its own specifics and value.

Low-growing forms of junipers are successfully used as ground cover.

Juniper like a silver blue carpet

Forms such as "Glauka", "Blue Star" and "Old Gold", able to create under the trees and tall bushes beautiful silvery blue rug.

Pyramidal species of juniper are usually planted as single plants or in small groups near various architectural structures, as well as on lawns and alpine slides. They are good in a quiet corner formed by trees, herbs and perennials.

Evergreen junipers, which in nature settled from the polar regions to the subtropics, are recognized not only as one of them. ancient plants, but also the most valuable crops for landscaping. Having studied the common junipers, types and varieties with photos, descriptions and features, you can transform both the summer cottage and vast landscape gardening areas.

All existing varieties of these plants have:

• creeping, shrubby or tree-like form;
• scaly or needle-shaped leaves;
• fruits in the form of small dense cones with closed scales.

Thanks to the highest degree adaptability, junipers were able to survive the climatic cataclysms of the past and settle in various natural areas. This property, as well as exotic beauty, attracted attention to plants that have become indispensable in the design of rocky corners, rock gardens, borders.

Common juniper (J. communis)

One of the most common types of juniper is found in Europe, northern Africa, Asia and even on the lands of the North American continent.

The common juniper shown in the photo has the shape of a shrub or a medium-sized tree. Under favorable conditions, a plant with dense, consisting of branches covered with needle-like leaves up to 15 mm long reaches a height of 3–8 meters. Sometimes junipers, dividing into female and male specimens, grow up to 12 meters.

Common juniper, like all its relatives, is a long-lived and slow growing crop. It is not uncommon for specimens that have lived to be a hundred years old or older. Moreover, the beauty of the plant is better revealed when high humidity soil and air.

The crown, resembling a pyramid or a cone, thanks to its hard, prickly needles, retains its decorative effect throughout the year, tolerates a haircut without any problems, which is important when growing juniper as an ornamental crop. And the leaves themselves live for about 4 years and are gradually replaced.

The bluish-blue cones of the plant ripen only in the second year.

On the site, the common juniper, in the photo, shows an unpretentious character, high frost resistance and undemanding nutrition. The popularity of this plant is added by the presence of many varieties with traditional green, gray-silver or golden foliage, with a crown of a pyramidal, conical or squat flattened shape.

Photos of juniper varieties of this species are striking in diversity, and their agricultural technology is available even to beginners.

Juniper Depressa is a cultivated variety of a plant found in Canada. By different information, this species is considered independent, Canadian, or is recognized as a subspecies of common juniper. It is distinguished from the usual form by a wide, drooping or prostrate crown and a height not exceeding one and a half meters.

The needle-shaped leaves of the plant have a brownish color, which becomes almost bronze by winter, increasing the decorative effect of the evergreen.

Juniper Depressa Aurea is similar in appearance to the variety described above, but its foliage is more attractive. Young shoots of the plant have a bright light green, almost yellow or golden color, which gave the name to the Juniperus communis juniper variety shown in the photo.

Siberian juniper (J. sibirica)

This type of juniper was named after Siberia, where plants with small needles and a squat crown can be found in mountainous areas. In addition to the Siberian region, the culture is widespread in the northern regions of Europe, the Far East, the Crimea, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Everywhere Siberian juniper plants prefer to settle on dry rocky areas.

To characteristic features Siberian juniper can be attributed: short stature, slow pace of development and decorative, thanks to light stripes, needle-like foliage, living for about 2 years. Rounded gray berries ripen in the second year after formation.

AT wild nature due to slow growth and small size Siberian juniper needs to be protected. In the garden, the plant is more comfortable even when minimal care. Undemanding look:

• survives dry periods without loss;
• is content with low-nutrient soils;
• not afraid of frost;
• takes root in areas where there is a risk of increased gas contamination and air pollution;
• loves light and does not need shading.

Over time, creeping shoots of juniper can take root, due to which the crowns grow and create living borders. The Siberian variety is ideal for decorating slides.

Juniper Cossack (J. sabina)

Another common type of juniper is interesting for the gardener because, in addition to endurance, it has two varieties of needles. The first, needle-shaped foliage up to 6 mm long can be seen on young shoots, as well as on branches in the shade. The second, scaly type of foliage is needles on adult branches.

On average, foliage with a rich, resinous aroma characteristic of juniper lives for three years. rounded or oval dense berries ripen in the second year.

Compared to common juniper, the Cossack juniper shown in the photo is not so tall and noticeable. The height of a creeping shrub with a dense squat crown is about one and a half meters. But this did not prevent us from appreciating the juniper and from the end of the 16th century using it to decorate parks and regular gardens.

Thanks to the breeding of varieties with dark green, gray and light needles, an undemanding, winter-hardy and drought-tolerant plant will be indispensable on hills. It is used to anchor slopes and create vibrant, well-shaped curbs.

Juniper Chinese (J. chinensis)

Among all junipers, this plant from the Cypress family stands out for its impressive size. The crown of a native of China, Korea and Manchuria grows to a height of 25 meters. Chinese juniper, in the photo, has needle-shaped needles on young shoots, which, as thin branches grow older, are replaced by small scaly foliage. Small cones of the plant can be painted in bluish, brown or black tones, covered with a bluish bloom.

The first specimens of Chinese juniper in Europe appeared in early XIX century. In Russia, these plants were planted a little later on Black Sea coast where they meet today. But unlike other species, the Chinese variety needs more moist soil and air, so it often suffers from drought. The frost resistance limit of the crop is −30 °C. Therefore, in the middle lane without shelters, plants can freeze out.

Interestingly, despite the large size of adult specimens, Chinese juniper, as in the photo, is often used for.

Lying juniper (J. procumbens)

In Japan and other countries of the region, there is a lying juniper with a creeping or drooping crown, covered with green or more often bluish-blue needles.

Plants with a height of 50 to 400 cm are adapted to a humid maritime climate, so in the Russian middle zone they can suffer in dry air, as well as from frost in especially harsh winters.

At home, the juniper of this species is one of the favorite plants for creating spectacular.

Juniper hard (J. rigida)

Many Far Eastern junipers are actively used today in the design of garden and park plantings. Juniper hard - the native inhabitant of this fertile region chooses coastal sandy slopes and shores as habitats. On windy clones, plants settle under cover of more large trees. Here, junipers take on a creeping shape and, at a height of up to 40 cm, thanks to two-meter shoots, form dense impenetrable groups.

In favorable conditions, hard juniper reaches a height of 8 meters. The crown, covered with yellow-green prickly needles, is dense in male specimens, female plants more transparent.

Highly unpretentious appearance juniper is not often found in culture. At the same time, the plant may be interesting for park gardening and creating authentic, oriental corners in small areas.

When growing hard juniper, it must be taken into account that on acidic soils the plant feels oppressed, loses its decorative effect and already low growth rates.

Juniper prostrate (J. horizontalis)

The name of this species eloquently speaks of appearance and characteristic feature plants. The prostrate juniper has a squat, even creeping crown with a height of 10 to 30 cm. The plant comes from Canada, where it prefers to settle on sandy slopes, on the shores of lakes or in mountainous areas, also called. Although the species is frost-resistant, picky when choosing soil and perfectly strengthens the slopes, when planting it, it must be taken into account that in drought conditions the juniper feels oppressed, its needles lose their brightness and tone.

In ornamental horticulture, horizontal juniper is valued for needles with two light, almost white stripes. Based on the wild-growing form, more than a hundred cultivars, differing in foliage coloring and crown shape.

Juniperus medium (J. x media)

During selection work with junipers, it was found that certain species can produce stable hybrids that are interesting to gardeners. An example of such a successful hybridization is the juniper medium, obtained by crossing the Cossack and spherical varieties (J. sphaerica). The first specimens of this species were grown at the end of the 19th century in Germany, and then became widespread in Europe and around the world.

Evergreen juniper plants of the middle, as in the photo, can have a crown of a creeping, prostrate or wide sprawling shape. Depending on the variety, plants of this species grow up to 3-5 meters. The needles of the scaly and needle type are painted in green, gray tones. There are varieties with a golden crown.

Although the plants are winter-hardy, there is a risk of freezing. Therefore, in the middle lane and to the north, juniper on winter months cover, which is not difficult with a squat, relatively small crown of the plant.

Rock Juniper (J. scopulorum)

The North American continent gave the world a lot of bushes. In the Rocky Mountains, famous for their harsh beauty, the rocky juniper shown in the photo was discovered.

This form is distinguished by a pyramidal shape and scaly needles, which, depending on the variety, can be rich green or gray, almost blue. Slim evergreen in the first half of XIX century grown in parks and greenhouses. During this time, more than 20 cultivars have been obtained. With minimal care and protection in very coldy adult plants easily maintain a pyramidal shape and slowly developing, reach a height of 12 meters.

Juniper virginian (J. virginiana)

Red cedar or virginian juniper is a native inhabitant of the north of the American continent. The plant owes its unusual nickname to its record growth for junipers. Adult specimens of this species are powerful trees up to 30 meters high with trunks, the diameter of which reaches one and a half meters.

A large tree-like form is not the only difference in the species. Juniper virginian, in the photo, has a fairly fast growth. This circumstance was immediately appreciated by the Americans, who began to grow the crop back in mid-seventeenth century.

The plant has small needles mixed type and the same medium-sized cones, ripening in the same year after formation. In Russia, this species is suitable for growing in the southern regions; at home, wood is used to make stationery pencils and obtain essential oil. For ornamental gardening, many compact varieties and interspecific hybrids with silvery, bluish and light needles.

Juniper scaly (J. squamata)

China, Taiwan and the Himalayas are the habitat of another type of juniper with a dense, decorative crown up to one and a half meters high.

This is the scaly juniper shown in the photo, easily tolerating dry air and poor soil, but not winter-hardy enough for central Russia.

Juniper Dahurian (J. davurica)

The Far East of Russia, the northern regions of China and Mongolia are the birthplace of another decorative type of juniper, which is distinguished not only by its creeping shape and slow growth rate, but also by its long life.

Dahurian juniper plants can grow and develop for more than a hundred years, while their shoots in diameter will not exceed five centimeters.

A species described at the end of the 18th century, due to its hard wood, ability to settle on poor soils, including stony dumps, and compact size, the indigenous people call stone heather.

The aerial part of the juniper does not exceed 50 cm in height, the trunk is often hidden in the ground, which helps the rooting of the shoots and makes the plant very valuable for strengthening steep slopes, hills and embankments. Light green needles turn brown in winter. The same color in ripe globular cones. Dahurian juniper is decorative, unpretentious and extremely winter-hardy.

Video about the types and varieties of juniper in the country