Juniper high: photo and description

The high juniper is an evergreen plant that has been valued for its wood and healing properties since ancient times. Unfortunately, under natural growing conditions, the species is less and less common, so it was listed in the Red Book. But everyone can grow this mighty tree on a personal plot in all of Our Country.

Description of high juniper

The high juniper belongs to the cypress family, the height of an adult tree is 10-15 m, the trunk diameter is up to 2 m. The young plant forms a pyramidal crown, which becomes sprawling with age. Thin rounded-tetrahedral branches are covered with small, numerous leaves of a bluish-emerald hue.

The high juniper is a monoecious tree, producing single, spherical fruits up to 12 cm in diameter. The berries are purple-gray in color with a thick whitish coating. The plant reproduces by seeds, which are spread over long distances by wind, birds and squirrels. Germination is low, 20%.

Juniper high is not a fast-growing plant; by the age of 60, the tree reaches only a meter in height. The average age of life in natural conditions is about 600 years. But there are specimens that are more than one and a half thousand years old.

Where does high juniper grow in Our Country

In Our Country, high juniper can be found in the Crimea, in the Krasnodar Territory, from Anapa to Gelendzhik, in Tuapse. The tree is not afraid of drought, loves rocky hills, mountain belts, starting from surf zones and ending with a height of half a meter above sea level. There are individuals that grow at an altitude of 2 km above sea level and even higher.

Why juniper high is listed in the Red Book

Juniper high was listed in the Red Book of the USSR in 1978, now it is in the Red Book of the Federation with the status of “Vulnerable Species”.

Juniper high is listed in the Red Book of Our Country, as its population is rapidly exterminated. Reasons for the disappearance of high juniper:

• felling for valuable wood: for the manufacture of furniture, souvenirs and handicrafts;
• resort buildings;
• progression of agricultural activity;
• for use in the technical and essential oil industry.

A great loss of numbers was inflicted during the Second World War and during the construction of the Abrau-Dyurso road.

If everyone adheres to these simple rules, the population of this beautiful, healing tree will increase, and the air on the planet will become cleaner and more transparent.

Interesting facts about high juniper

Juniper high has been known since antiquity and has been captured in myths and legends:

1. With the help of a fragrant tree, which has a hypnotic property, Jason and Medea lulled the snake that guarded the Golden Fleece in Colchis, thereby fulfilling their mission.
2. A smell emanates from the needles, which cures many diseases, since this tree purifies the air much better than other conifers. Thanks to the healing aroma, the ancestors fumigated the room where the seriously ill were, and the Ancient Romans got rid of the outbreak of cholera.
3. Juniper high is the leader among conifers in terms of the content of bactericidal essential oils. A hectare of juniper forest can disinfect the air in a large metropolis.
4. Juniper wood is resistant to decay. It was used to build basement ceilings in the famous Genoese fortress of Sudak. Over the 700-year history, wooden columns have not failed and steadfastly hold 3 floors, while the stone walls of the tower have long needed reconstruction.

Planting and caring for high juniper

Despite the fact that the juniper is high – a heat-loving plant, its frost resistance is high, it can withstand up to -23 ° C. Therefore, anyone can plant a tree in their backyard. But before purchasing a high juniper sapling, you need to view the photo and read the description.

The juniper is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Since seed germination is low, cuttings are often used:

1. Cuttings are cut in June from the top of the crown, up to 15 cm in size.
2. Remove the lower needles and clean the stem.
3. The prepared stalk is kept in the Kornevin preparation and buried at an acute angle into the nutrient soil.
4. For quick rooting, a micro-greenhouse is made.
5. After rooting, the plant is planted in a lit place in nutrient soil.

To grow a beautiful plant, it is necessary to observe timely care, which consists in watering and feeding.

After watering, loosening, weed removal and mulching are carried out. The mulch will help retain moisture and provide additional organic nutrition.

In the spring, for growth and development, nitrogenous top dressing can be applied. In autumn, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to better tolerate the cold winter.

Juniper does not need pruning. It is carried out only to give the crown a decorative look or to create a green hedge. Juniper high needs regular sanitary pruning. To do this, it is necessary to remove dry, frozen and infected branches in a timely manner.

Juniper high – cold-resistant species, can overwinter at a temperature of -23 ° C. Young seedlings and trees growing in harsh climatic conditions need shelter. To protect the tree from the cold, you need to carry out simple measures:

1. The earth is abundantly shed, fed and mulched.
2. The crown is tied from top to bottom with twine in a spiral.
3. Close with spruce branches and cover with breathable material.

Diseases and pests

Unlike other conifers, high juniper often suffers from the following diseases:

1. Rust – a common disease caused by a fungus. The disease appears in early summer due to heavy rains and low air temperatures. You can recognize rust by slightly raised orange spots that appear on the needles and petioles. Without treatment, the spots crack and fungal spores appear from them, which are quickly transferred to neighboring plants with the wind. As a struggle, the drug “Arcerida” is used, which must be applied once every 10 days until complete recovery.
   Important! If you are late with treatment, the plant will have to be dug up and disposed of.
2. Schutte – the disease mainly affects young plantings in wet weather and in dense plantings. In a diseased plant, the color of the needles changes, which eventually dies and falls off. To prevent the disease from progressing, it is necessary to remove the fallen needles in a timely manner, remove and burn the damaged needles. To prevent the disease in spring, juniper is treated with Bordeaux liquid.
3. Alternaria – a fungus that affects the root system, as a result of which the needles turn dark brown, the bark becomes covered with a dark coating. The disease often appears due to a thickened planting. To combat the fungus, damaged branches are removed, treated with Bordeaux liquid, wounds on the branches are treated with copper sulphate and covered with garden pitch.

Juniper high in medicine

Juniper high has found wide application in folk medicine. Since it has a diuretic, sedative, expectorant effect, it treats diseases of the digestive tract, skin diseases and is used in cosmetology.

One of the old and effective methods is the treatment with fresh berries. For 30 days of regular intake, they purify the blood, strengthen the immune system, relieve swelling and lower blood pressure.

It is necessary to consume juniper berries on an empty stomach and strictly according to the instructions:

• the first day – 1 berry;
• up to 15 days, the number of berries is increased to 15 pcs.;
• then the dose is reduced by 1 berry daily.

Recipes known since ancient times

The healing properties of juniper allow it to be used in traditional medicine recipes:

1. decoction. It is used as a diuretic and choleretic agent. 1 tsp pour 250 ml of water and boil for 5 minutes. The finished broth is left for 25 minutes to infuse, filtered in the morning, afternoon and evening, 1 tbsp. l. before eating.
2. Juniper tincture. An effective remedy for getting rid of rheumatism, arthritis, arthrosis. Berries are poured with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. The tincture is removed in a dark place and insisted in a warm place for at least a week.
3. juniper oil promotes hair growth and strengthening. The mask with the addition of oil smoothes the skin, relieves acne and acne, gives the skin firmness and elasticity.

Despite the beneficial qualities, juniper can be harmful to the body. It is not recommended in the following cases:

• pregnant and lactating women;
• with hepatic and renal failure;
• people with individual intolerance;
• with gastrointestinal disease in the acute stage;
• with diabetes.

Conclusion

Juniper high is a rare, healing, evergreen tree that can be found not only in wildlife, but also grown on a personal plot. The plant is unpretentious, slow growing and, subject to the rules of care, will be a great addition to landscape design.