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Juniper berries can be used to flavor drinks, spice dishes, treat diseases or poison yourself. Of course, they are slightly toxic, and it all depends on the dose, but in cooking and medicine, fruits of the same type are used. Juniperus vulgaris and supplies this raw material. For example, only its berries owe the exclusive aroma and taste of gin.
Characteristics of common juniper
Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is a coniferous tree or shrub belonging to the genus Juniper from the Cypress family. Unlike most species, the area of culture is very extensive. Common juniper grows in the cold and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, the tropics of Asia and even in northern Africa. In Our Country, it is distributed in the forest-steppes and forests of the European part, throughout Western Siberia, and up to the Eastern Lena basin.
Common juniper lives in different regions, where climate, soil and environmental conditions are very different. Because of this, it is distinguished by great plasticity and variability of forms. Some hobbyists even believe that there are different types of common juniper.
Of course it isn’t. But it is precisely in the systematization of this conifer that the ranks of taxa are used, which are lower in the biological hierarchy than the species: subspecies, varieties. Among them are the usual columnar forms that differ in crown configuration, such as:
- Common Juniper subsp. Common;
- Common Juniper subsp. Alpine
The dwarf subspecies created by nature includes Juniperus communis subsp. Hemisphaerica, which does not exceed one and a half meters at the age of about 30 years.
There is even a creeping form of Juniperus communis var. Montana, found in alpine areas and swamps.
So people who talk about the types of common juniper are wrong from a biological point of view. But they can be understood. It is difficult for an amateur to imagine that such different plants are not just close relatives, but belong to the same species.
What does common juniper look like
Common juniper can be a shrub ranging in size from 1 to 3 m or a tree, more often with several trunks, 8-12 m high. Representatives of this species can be monoecious and dioecious plants:
- The females are usually shorter than the males and rather spreading, sometimes with slightly drooping ends of the shoots. Their average height and crown diameter reaches 3-5 m.
- Male plants are much more decorative than female ones. They are taller – from 5 to 8 m on average, with a narrow crown, the diameter of which does not exceed 1,5 m.
But writing about the height of the Common Juniper as a species plant is a thankless task. There will always be a variety whose parameters do not fit the description. For example, growing in swamps and in alpine valleys, the elfin form of common juniper, the width of the crown of which significantly exceeds the height. Or dwarfs, at 30 years old, barely reaching one and a half meters. All these forms are not very consistent with generalized parameters.
The bark on woody plants belonging to the species is reddish-gray. The trunk and skeletal branches of an adult specimen are dark gray or brown-gray, flaky. The shoots are usually directed upwards, and in females they are more distant from the central conductor, while males are distinguished by their slenderness and compactness of the crown.
The species is considered slow growing. The annual increase in width is about 5 cm, the height increases by about 15 cm.
A characteristic feature of shrubs and trees of common juniper is that its needles are sharp and prickly on branches of any order, both at a young age and in old specimens. Needles 10-15 mm long, 1 to 2 mm wide, collected in whorls of 3 pieces, straight, most often gray-green. This effect is created by a white groove located in the center of the needles and green edges. Keep needles on branches up to four years.
Flowering ordinary occurs in April-May. In Siberia and other cold regions, it is still cold at this time, and the release of pollen is shifted by a month. The ripening of fleshy cones up to 8 mm in size takes 2-3 years. Their shape can be round or cylindrical, the color is blue-black, often with a whitish wax coating. Ripe berries contain from 1 to 3 seeds.
Fruits have not only decorative, but also economic value. Species plants give the first cone berries at 5-9 years. A full-fledged harvest is obtained starting from the age of 10, every 3-5 years, when more than 1 kg of fruits can be harvested from 50 ha.
The wood is fragrant and durable. But since the diameter of the trunk does not exceed 20 cm, it is mainly used for the manufacture of crafts and small-sized consumer goods – beads, combs, souvenirs, etc.
Where does common juniper grow?
Common juniper trees and shrubs are undemanding to soils. They prefer light soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline reaction, grow on sandstones and stones. Poor culture tolerates only saline lands.
Although common juniper is resistant to lack of moisture in the soil, it does not like dry air. If you arrange good drainage, the conifer can be planted on waterlogged soils. Prefers full sun but will grow in partial shade.
The disadvantages include low resistance to anthropogenic pollution. This prevents the widespread use of culture in the gardening of megacities and industrial cities.
How many years does common juniper live
According to Jan van der Neer, the common juniper is a durable breed, and lives up to 2 thousand years. But this applies to species plants that are in the natural environment. In the city, culture will not live that long, especially since it does not tolerate air pollution well.
Varieties grown from cuttings are short-lived. They usually live 50-60 years. The same applies to grafted forms.
Winter hardiness of common juniper
Given the wide spread of culture around the globe, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to this question. Subspecies native to North Africa will not winter in Siberia without adaptation and shelter. Like the natives of the North in hot regions, they suffer from high temperatures.
In general, common juniper has a high frost resistance, and does not freeze in the Middle lane. Basically, it all depends on two factors:
- in fact, from the frost resistance of the variety;
- places where a tree or shrub is grown.
That is why seedlings of any plants are recommended to buy in local nurseries. Most varieties winter in zone 3 without shelter and problems, but there are more heat-loving or cold-resistant ones.
Varieties of common juniper
Descriptions with photos of common juniper varieties allow you to fully understand how diverse the culture is. It would be used much more widely, but it does not tolerate polluted air.
Juniperus vulgaris Meyer
Variety Meyer (Meyer) – one of the most popular, often used in landscape design. It was created around 1945 by the German breeder Erich Mayer, after whom it was named.
Forms a multi-stemmed, very dense bush with a beautiful pin-shaped crown of the correct, symmetrical shape. An adult plant reaches 3-4 m with a diameter of 1,5 m. Annual growth is 10-12 cm. Prickly needle needles are silver-green in color, young ones are a tone lighter than mature ones. By winter it becomes bluish-green.
Long skeletal branches strongly branched. They are thick, hard, evenly spaced in relation to the center of the bush, directed upwards at an acute angle. The ends of the branches sometimes droop.
Frost resistance is very high – without shelter it grows in zone 2. It prefers a sunny position.
When describing the common Meyer juniper, it should be noted that this is a resistant variety. That is, it can be safely propagated independently by cuttings – most young plants will not deviate from the maternal form.
Common Juniper Suezica
This variety is a cultivated species tree that grows naturally in Scandinavia. Common juniper Suecica forms a dense multi-stemmed shrub with a wide columnar crown up to 10 m high. It is usually planted in parks and botanical gardens. In culture, varieties derived from Suetsiki are better known. Often manufacturers and hobbyists do not bother with their differences, and simply call Suecica. And then they are surprised that the seedlings taken in different nurseries turn into plants that are unlike each other. To understand the varieties obtained from the common juniper Suetsik, their description will be useful.
In 2
It has a very compact, narrow crown. At a height of 2,5-3 m, the width does not exceed 30 cm, it grows slowly. The branches are directed almost vertically, rigid, covered with blue-green needles, tightly pressed against each other. Variety of Swedish selection.
Bruns
This common juniper cultivar was obtained from the Suezika form in the nursery of Oldenburg. Transferred to sale by G. Bruns in 1970.
The variety is very similar to the original form, but differs in a looser crown, and, most importantly, in the highest resistance to rust. So it can be safely planted next to fruit trees.
Suezica Aurea
The form was found in Schneverdingen (Lower Saxony) by G. Horstmann. It is a compact shrub with a narrow crown. At the age of 10, it reaches up to 1-1,5 m with a width of 30 cm. The young needles are yellow, by the middle of the season it becomes golden green.
Suezika Nana
This dwarf variety has been in cultivation since 1929. The crown is narrow, in the form of a column. Height – no more than 1,5 m with a width of 30 cm, bluish-green needles.
The original Suetsika variety and its forms are undemanding to soils, they grow better in the sun, but tolerate partial shade well. Only in Suesica Aurea, with a lack of light, the needles lose their golden color.
Common Juniper Wallis
Created by the Dutch nursery Bressingham Nursery in 1981. The common juniper cultivar Wallis is bred from a female and propagated by cuttings. It is a bush up to 2 m high, with a crown width of about 1,5 m. It grows slowly, annually adding 10-15 cm vertically, the diameter increases by 5 cm.
Strong shoots are directed upwards at an acute angle, forming a crown resembling a bowl. The ends of the branches hang down. Young needles are one tone lighter than mature, green, prickly, small.
Frost resistance – zone 3 without shelter.
Juniper ordinary Sentinel
Another common juniper with a very narrow vertical crown. The name of the variety is translated into as guard, sentry. An adult plant reaches a height of 3-4 m, with a diameter of 30-50 cm. The branches are very dense, tightly pressed against each other and directed vertically upwards.
The needles are prickly, young – bright green, by the end of the season it becomes dark green with a bluish tint. Prefers sunny places. Winters in zone 2.
This juniper lends itself well to pruning and can be used to create topiary shapes.
Common Juniper Green Carpet
The name of the variety is translated as Green Carpet. This juniper is isolated from a creeping form and grows almost horizontally. An adult plant reaches a height of 20-30 cm with a crown diameter of 2 m.
The needles are sharp, but soft, young growth is bright green, darkens by the end of the season.
Common Juniper Gold Con
Variety Gold Con or Golden Cone was bred by German breeders in 1980. Differs in yellow color of needles. Forms a crown in the form of a cone rounded at the top. The height of an adult plant is 2-3 meters, the diameter is up to 0,5 m. The annual growth is 10-15 cm. It is frost-resistant. In the shade it loses its golden color.
Common juniper in landscape design
The only thing that limits the use of common juniper in landscape design is poor resistance to anthropogenic pollution. If conditions allow, the culture will look great on the site, and will not require special care.
The outstretched horizontal forms of common juniper look good in low flower beds or along the edge of high flower beds. The culture is planted in rockeries, rock gardens, against the background of large and small landscape groups.
Varieties created from the female forms of the common juniper are usually distinguished by a wide pyramidal crown, with a depression in the center and drooping tips of the shoots. From this, the bush becomes like a flowerpot. This feature is often played up by landscape designers, placing junipers in romantic gardens.
But the most popular are numerous varieties with a narrow-columnar crown. They are planted in the form of an alley, as a vertical accent in landscape groups and flower beds. Such junipers are not used as a tapeworm. In a single landing, they are only good in a cemetery.
The plant lends itself well to pruning; columnar varieties can be used to create topiaries. Common juniper is often grown as a container crop, but only outdoors – it will not live long indoors.
Planting and caring for common juniper
If the culture is planted outside the city, problems with it rarely arise. The polluted air greatly complicates the care of common juniper. The owners seem to be doing everything right, following the recommendations, and the plant is withering.
Seedling and planting preparation
The landing pit is prepared in advance. It is dug with a depth of at least 70 cm to place drainage, the diameter should exceed the size of the earthen clod by 1,5-2 times. It is not necessary to completely change the soil, the common juniper is undemanding in this regard and does not tolerate only saline soils. If necessary, the earth is made looser with the help of soddy soil, peat and sand are added.
Drainage is laid in the planting pit, filled with 70% substrate, and filled with water. Let stand for at least 2 weeks.
Common juniper seedlings are best taken from local nurseries. Moreover, it is advisable not to buy dug ones at all, even with an earthen lump lined with burlap. The fact is that the species does not tolerate transplantation, especially in adulthood.
Adult conifers of this species dug out in nature almost never take root. So if you take common juniper from the forest, then only small specimens.
How to plant common juniper
Planting common juniper grown in a container is carried out all season. Plants dug out with an earthen clod are placed on the site in spring or autumn. Preference should be given to planting at the beginning of the season in regions with a temperate and cold climate, in the south – when the heat subsides, in October-November.
The algorithm for planting an ordinary juniper is as follows:
- Part of the substrate is removed from the planting pit.
- The plant is installed in the center, the root neck should be flush with the ground. That is, you need to plant a juniper so that the surface of the earthen coma taken out of the container is sprinkled with only a thin layer of soil – no more than 0,5 cm.
- If the variety is narrow-columnar, exceeds 50 cm in height, it is better to tie it to a peg previously driven into the bottom of the pit.
- The soil is poured gradually, constantly compacting.
- Juniper is watered abundantly, spending at least a bucket of water on a small plant. For an adult, you need 10 liters for each meter of growth.
- The soil is mulched, better acquired in the garden center with processed coniferous bark.
Watering and top dressing
Immediately after planting, the common juniper is watered frequently and plentifully, not allowing the soil to dry out. Then humidification is carried out several times a season. The exception is hot dry summers. Then watering is carried out once every 2 weeks.
Unlike other species, common juniper can endure drought (within reason), and mild soil soaking. But still, it is better to do watering as needed.
Sprinkling crown is very useful for culture. It is made in warm weather at sunset, but in such a way that the needles have time to dry before nightfall.
It is better to give top dressing to common juniper twice during the growing season:
- spring with a high content of nitrogen;
- autumn – potassium-phosphorus.
Often, gardeners are limited to making a complete mineral complex at the beginning of the season. This is quite acceptable, but autumn top dressing allows the crop to better cope with air pollution and successfully overwinter.
Useful for junipers and foliar fertilizers, which are applied through the needles. It is recommended to add an ampoule of epin or zircon to the balloon – these substances also allow the culture to withstand stress factors.
Mulching and loosening
It is necessary to loosen the soil under the common juniper only until the culture is completely rooted – the first year or two after planting. In the future, the trunk circle is mulched – this retains moisture, creates a favorable microclimate, and in varieties with a pyramidal narrow crown, it protects the root from overheating.
Trimming and shaping
Sanitary pruning of the common juniper is to remove dry and diseased branches. The crown that forms it usually does not need. If desired, it is easy to create a topiary from pyramidal varieties. For the initial pruning, you should invite a specialist; the owners will be able to maintain their shape on their own.
Preparation for winter
Freshly planted plants need to be sheltered from frost, in the north it is better to do this for two seasons. In the future, they are limited to mulching the near-trunk circle. Varieties with a pyramidal crown are tied with twine, otherwise the snow will break the branches.
Reproduction of common juniper
Species juniper is propagated by seeds after a long stratification. Varieties with this method rarely inherit decorative features. They are bred by cuttings, and creeping forms – by layering.
Juniper shoots can be taken all season, but lovers take root better in spring. On a cutting taken with a “heel”, the lower needles are removed, treated with a stimulant, planted in peat, sand or perlite. Keep in a cool place, protected from the sun, with high humidity.
After about 40 days, rooting will be completed, the cuttings are planted in a separate container with a more nutritious substrate. The juniper is moved to a permanent place after 2 years.
Pests and diseases of common juniper
Common juniper is a generally healthy culture. If you carry out preventive treatments regularly, work with clean tools, and do not bring infected plants to the site, problems rarely occur. Diseases are controlled with fungicides, pests are destroyed with insecticides.
Most often there are such problems:
- Too dry air and lack of crown sprinkling contribute to the appearance and reproduction of spider mites.
- Moisturizing the crown late in the evening, when the crown does not have time to dry out by night, in regions with a warm climate stimulates the appearance of a mealybug. It is difficult to get rid of it on prickly junipers, so it is better to do everything according to the rules.
- In winter, if the crown is not tied, and the snow lies on the branches for several months, a snow shute may develop.
- Waterlogging, poor drainage or lack of it, excessively dense soil can cause rot.
To make life easier for yourself, to identify the problem in time and immediately begin treatment, the common juniper should be regularly examined.
Conclusion
Common juniper is an excellent culture for park management and private plots. The only thing holding back its spread is its low resistance to air pollution.