Contents
Juniper Crimean belongs to the genus cypress. In total, 5 varieties have been bred: ordinary, smelly, red, Cossack and tall.
Description of the Crimean junipers
Juniper Crimean – the oldest plant. The name of the plant consists of two words – “mozha” and “spruce”. The first in translation means “knot” or “strong”. In the Crimea, it was bred in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden under Steven at the beginning of the 19th century. Subsequently, a huge number of varieties of the Crimean juniper, brought from abroad, appeared.
Photos and descriptions of the Crimean juniper can be found on various gardening forums and sites dedicated to floriculture.
It grows on the Crimean Peninsula, the Mediterranean and in the area near the Caucasus Mountains. It loves warmth and tolerates drought well. It grows only in the mountains at an altitude of up to 1,5 km above sea level. It is characterized by weak growth – only a few centimeters per year. As a rule, its size is about 4 m in height. The foliage resembles a spruce and consists of small, thin needles. The stems are covered with reddish berries. In no case should they be consumed, since they are inedible, they can easily be poisoned.
It is characterized by longevity – lives up to 600 years. The bark of a juniper that has reached 200 years old cracks into ribbons. The needles change regularly, every 5 years. It falls to the ground and gradually decomposes, creating fertile ground for further growth. Juniper begins to bloom in March-April and loves light very much.
Types of Crimean junipers
In total, there are about 70 varieties of plants.
Breeders bred 5 types of Crimean juniper:
- Red.
- Tall (tree-like).
- Smelly (smelly).
- Cossack.
- Ordinary.
Smelly and Cossack Crimean juniper belongs to creeping plants and covers mountain slopes like a carpet. The main difference is in the type of needles. In creeping ones they are hard and prickly, while in Cossacks they are soft.
Crimean juniper red
Another name for juniper is Spanish, red cedar, prickly or cedar veres. It is characterized by high growth – up to 8 m. It is covered with sharp needles, for which it received another name – a thorn.
The bark of the Crimean red juniper has a pink tint and is covered with cones that begin to bloom in early autumn. However, they can not be seen on every shrub, since this variety is a dioecious plant, and they can only be found on a female.
Crimean juniper high
Juniper high is covered with burgundy-brown berries located along the stem. Many botanists describe it as a majestic and spectacular tree that catches the eye of every passerby. Indeed, it is very different from its relatives, which usually grow as a creeping plant.
Crimean juniper smelly
Outwardly, it resembles a high Crimean juniper, however, its berries are not burgundy, but black and not so large. The plant itself also has a blackish tint. The main feature is the bad smell that comes from the bush.
Crimean juniper Cossack
A beautiful plant with non-thorny needles, creeping on the tops of the mountains. The most common shrub among conifers. It is widely used as a garden decoration, about 30 subspecies have been bred. Height reaches up to 2 m, but quickly grows in width.
The bark can be of two types. If it is a young plant, then the needles are hard and pointed. The adult is distinguished by soft needles. It is found in all cities of Eastern Europe, in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, in the Crimea, etc.
Crimean juniper ordinary
Distributed in the northern and middle strip of the country in a wooded area. The Crimean common juniper is covered with small dried seedlings.
As a spice, only cones of this type can be used. For example, the Cossack juniper is completely poisonous. However, doctors recommend using only the average daily rate, which consists of about 6 seedlings. It has a pyramidal or ovoid crown. The needles are similar to cypress and have a dark green tint.
How Crimean junipers breed
The universal method of propagation of the Crimean juniper is cuttings. If all the optimal conditions are met, then it can be carried out at any time of the year, however, spring is ideal. The root system can easily take root in the open field in the summer and survive the winter frosts without any problems.
For reproduction, it is recommended to follow the following rules:
- It is necessary to prepare cuttings in cloudy weather. Direct sunlight can harm both small sprouts and a mature plant from which sprouts have recently been cut.
- It is better to choose shoots from the tops of shrubs that are a little stiff. Each species has a different type of collection of planting material. For example, in pyramidal varieties, it is recommended to cut off shoots that are directed upwards and located on the tops of the bush. In creeping ones, it is better not to choose vertical shoots, but in bushy ones, you can take any.
- To cut the sprouts, you should choose a well-sharpened tool, which is best suited as a knife. Sprouts must be freed from excess needles 5 cm from the bottom. They are not subject to storage, so they must be immediately planted in open ground. If it is not possible to plant in the near future, then for a maximum of 3 hours they can be placed in a container with water or wrapped in a damp cloth and put in the refrigerator.
The soil in which the cuttings of the Crimean juniper will be grown must pass the liquid well and be loose. Sand and peat are ideal, which must be mixed in equal proportions.
You need to plant to a depth of 3 cm in pre-prepared boxes filled with substrate. Place them in a warm place with moist air. It is recommended to protect the juniper from direct sunlight, as they are detrimental to the plant. At first, it is necessary to periodically spray the shoots with infused water and water. To maintain a moderate level of humidity, spraying should be carried out 6 times a day. Water as needed when the soil dries out.
The first sprouts may appear as early as 2-3 months after planting. However, you should not immediately transplant them into open soil, as the root system will still be quite weak. It is better to wait a year until they get stronger in the greenhouse. Otherwise, juniper should be transplanted very carefully along with an earthen clod.
Medicinal properties of the Crimean junipers
The benefits of the Crimean juniper lies in the disinfecting properties. In ancient times, they fumigated the premises where there were sick people or women in labor, and also steamed in a bath with juniper brooms. According to the rating, it is in first place among trees with good bactericidal properties. However, the Crimean juniper does not tolerate polluted air, therefore it does not grow in large, clogged megacities. But in the Crimea it grows well, despite the fact that there is so little of it left due to extermination decades ago for personal needs, freeing up space for pastures and vineyards. It grows slowly, so it is quite difficult to restore it. Thanks to this, the Crimean juniper is listed in the Red Book; in the Crimea, you can find souvenirs dedicated to the most ancient shrub.
In Our Country, the first mention of medicinal properties was noticed at the end of the 18th century, in the magazine “Economic store”. Then they were already officially registered in the State Pharmaceutical Sphere.
Recipes from the Crimean juniper, which enhance its healing properties, were used in ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome. Bandages were applied to the wounds of people, which were soaked in juniper oil to speed up regeneration and destroy bacteria. Medical instruments were disinfected in an oily solution. In North America, tuberculosis patients were isolated in juniper forests, where food and water were brought to them. The use of dry berries of the Crimean juniper was that they were set on fire and fumigated the room.
The wood was used to make utensils and cups. The food was stored in it for a long time and did not spoil. This was the main advantage of juniper wood, since refrigerators had not yet been invented at that time. Houses made from the Crimean juniper were also valued, so there is not much of it left in the Crimea, since before it was cut down without sparing. Before the revolution, it was popular as a source of sugar from ripe fruits.
The use of the Crimean juniper
Juniper oil is now available everywhere, as is cypress oil. Due to its bactericidal properties, it is simply indispensable in winter frosts to fight influenza and various infections. Recipe ingredients for a solution that will clear the airways:
- 200 ml of water at room temperature;
- 5 drops of juniper oil.
All ingredients are mixed and added to the censer for evaporation.
From the fresh fruits of the Crimean juniper, you can make a tincture. To do this, it is necessary to rinse the ripe berries well with purified water, place in a 2 liter jar and add 300 g of sugar. Leave in a dark, warm place for 2 weeks, after which pour 0,5 liters of alcohol into them.
Also, the fruits are used as a syrup for the preparation of sweets and jelly products. In the fishing industry, it is used to enhance the taste of fish. Previously, juniper resin was very popular among the inhabitants of Ancient Our Country. Lacquer was used to lubricate the strings of musical instruments.
Ancestors also did not throw away juniper roots. They made veresovye threads from them. During the construction of sailing ships, schooners, kochs, they sewed pine boards together and used them for dressing shipboard.
Conclusion
Crimean juniper is characterized by slow growth. It is found quite rarely in the mountains, therefore it is listed in the Red Book. It has bactericidal properties, so it is widely used in medicine and other fields.