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Juniper berries can be used to flavor drinks, season dishes, treat illnesses, or treat poisoning. Of course, they are slightly toxic, and it all depends on the dose, but in cooking and medicine they use the fruits of the same type. Common Juniper supplies this raw material. For example, gin owes its exclusive aroma and taste to its berries.
Characteristics of common juniper
Common Juniper (Juniperus communis) is a coniferous tree or shrub belonging to the Juniper genus from the Cypress family.Unlike most species, the culture area is very extensive. The common juniper grows in the cold and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, the tropics of Asia and even in northern Africa. In Russia, it is distributed throughout the forest-steppes and forests of the European part, throughout Western Siberia, and right up to the Eastern Lena basin.
Common juniper lives in different regions, where climate, soil and environmental conditions differ greatly. Because of this, it is characterized by great plasticity and variability of shapes. Some hobbyists even believe that there are different types of common juniper.
Of course this is not true. But it is precisely when systematizing this conifer that the ranks of taxa are used that are lower in the biological hierarchy than the species: subspecies, varieties. Among them there are ordinary columnar forms, differing in crown configuration, such as:
- Juniperus communis subsp. Communis;
- Juniperus communis subsp. Alpina.
Dwarf subspecies created by nature include 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 talking about species 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 from 1 to 3 m in size or a tree, more often with several trunks, 8-12 m high. Representatives of this species can be monoecious and dioecious plants:
- Females are usually lower than 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 alpine valleys, the elfin form of common juniper, the width of the crown significantly exceeds the height. Or dwarfs, at 30 years old, barely reaching one and a half meters. All these forms do not correspond well to the general 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 brownish-gray, flaky. The shoots are usually directed upwards, and in females they are further away from the central conductor, while in males they are distinguished by their slender and compact 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 common juniper bushes and trees is that its needles are sharp and prickly on branches of any order, both at a young age and in old specimens. Needles are 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. Needles stay on branches for up to four years.
The common flowering occurs in April-May. In Siberia and other cold regions it is still cold at this time, and pollen release is shifted by a month. Ripening of fleshy cones up to 8 mm in size takes 2-3 years. Their shape can be round or cylindrical, the color is bluish-black, often with a whitish waxy coating. Ripe berries contain from 1 to 3 seeds.
The fruits are not only decorative, but also economically important. Species plants produce the first cones at 5-9 years of age. A full harvest is obtained starting from the age of 10, once every 3-5 years, when more than 50 kg of fruit can be collected from 1 hectare.
The wood is fragrant and durable. But since the diameter of the trunk does not exceed 20 cm, it is used mainly for making crafts and small-sized consumer items - beads, combs, souvenirs, etc.
Where does common juniper grow?
Common juniper trees and shrubs are undemanding to soil. They prefer light soil with a neutral and slightly alkaline reaction, and grow on sandstones and stones. The crop only tolerates saline soils poorly.
Although common juniper is resistant to lack of moisture in the soil, it does not like dry air. If you arrange good drainage, conifers can be planted on waterlogged soils.Prefers a sunny position, but will grow in partial shade.
Disadvantages include low resistance to anthropogenic pollution. This prevents the widespread use of culture in landscaping megacities and industrial cities.
How many years does the common juniper live?
According to Jan Van der Neer, the common juniper is a long-lived species, living up to 2 thousand years. But this applies to species plants found in their natural environment. In the city, culture will not last 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
Considering the wide distribution of culture across the globe, it is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Subspecies native to North Africa will not winter in Siberia without adaptation and shelter. Like natives of the North, in hot regions they suffer from high temperatures.
In general, common juniper has high frost resistance and does not freeze over in the middle zone. By and large, it all depends on two factors:
- actually, from the frost resistance of the variety;
- places where a tree or shrub is grown.
That is why it is recommended to buy seedlings of any plants from local nurseries. Most varieties overwinter in zone 3 without shelter or problems, but there are more heat-loving or cold-resistant varieties.
Varieties of common juniper
Descriptions with photos of common juniper varieties allow you to fully understand how diverse the crop is. It would be used much more widely, but it does not tolerate polluted air.
Common juniper Meyer
The Meyer variety is 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 a regular, symmetrical shape. An adult plant reaches 3-4 m with a diameter of 1.5 m. Annual growth is 10-12 cm. The spiny needle-shaped needles are silver-green in color, young ones are a shade lighter than mature ones. By winter it turns bluish-green.
Long skeletal branches branch heavily. They are thick, hard, evenly spaced in relation to the center of the bush, directed upward at an acute angle. The ends of the branches sometimes droop.
Frost resistance is very high - it grows without shelter in zone 2. Prefers a sunny position.
When describing the common Meyer's 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 Suetsica
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 bred on the basis of Suetsica are better known. Often manufacturers and hobbyists do not bother themselves with their differences, and simply call them Suecica. And then they are surprised that seedlings taken from different nurseries turn into plants that are different from each other. To understand the varieties obtained from the common juniper Suetsica, a description of them will be useful.
AT 2
It has a very compact, narrow crown. With a height of 2.5-3 m, the width does not exceed 30 cm and grows slowly. The branches are directed almost vertically, rigid, covered with blue-green needles, tightly pressed to each other. Swedish variety.
Bruns
This variety of common juniper was obtained from the Suezik form at the Oldenburg nursery. Transferred to sale by G. Bruns in 1970.
The variety is very similar to the original form, but is distinguished by a looser crown and, most importantly, the highest resistance to rust. So it can be safely planted next to fruit trees.
Suetsica 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. Young needles are yellow, becoming golden-green by the middle of the season.
Suetsika Nana
This dwarf variety has been in cultivation since 1929. The crown is narrow, column-shaped. Height - no more than 1.5 m with a width of 30 cm, the needles are bluish-green.
The original variety Suetsika and its forms are undemanding to soil; they grow better in the sun, but tolerate partial shade well. Only in Suesica Aurea, when there is a lack of light, the needles lose their golden color.
Juniper vulgaris Vallis
Created by the Dutch nursery Bressingham Nursery in 1981. The common juniper variety 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 upward at an acute angle, forming a crown resembling a bowl. The tips of the branches droop. Young needles are a shade lighter than mature ones, green, prickly, small.
Frost resistance - zone 3 without shelter.
Common juniper Sentinel
Another common juniper with a very narrow vertical crown. The name of the variety is translated into Russian 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 to each other and directed vertically upward.
The needles are prickly, young - bright green, by the end of the season they become dark green with a bluish tint. Prefers sunny places. Winters in zone 2.
This juniper responds well to pruning and can be used to create topiary shapes.
Common juniper Green Carpet
The name of the variety translates as Green Carpet. This juniper is separated from its 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, the young growth is bright green, darkens towards the end of the season.
Common juniper Gold Con
The variety Gold Con or Golden Cone was bred by German breeders in 1980. It is distinguished by the yellow color of its needles. Forms a crown in the form of a cone rounded at the top. The height of an adult plant is 2-3 meters, diameter is up to 0.5 m. Annual growth is 10-15 cm. 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 its poor resistance to anthropogenic pollution. If conditions permit, the crop will look great on the site and will not require special care.
The prostrate horizontal forms of common juniper look good in low flower beds or along the edges of tall flower beds.The crop is planted in rock gardens, rock gardens, against the backdrop of large and small landscape groups.
Varieties created from female forms of common juniper are usually distinguished by a wide pyramidal crown, with a depression in the center and drooping tips of the shoots. This makes the bush look like a flowerpot. This feature is often played up by landscape designers by 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. When planted alone, they are good only in a cemetery.
The plant lends itself well to pruning, and topiaries can be created from columnar varieties. 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 crop is planted outside the city, problems with it rarely arise. Polluted air greatly complicates caring for common juniper. The owners seem to be doing everything right, following the recommendations, but the plant is withering away.
Preparing seedlings and planting area
The planting pit is prepared in advance. It is dug to a depth of at least 70 cm to accommodate drainage; the diameter should exceed the size of the earthen ball by 1.5-2 times.It is not necessary to completely change the soil; common juniper is undemanding in this regard and only does not tolerate saline soils. If necessary, the soil is made more loose with the help of turf soil, peat and sand are added.
Drainage is placed in the planting hole, filled 70% with substrate, and filled with water. Let it sit for at least 2 weeks.
It is better to take common juniper seedlings from local nurseries. Moreover, it is advisable not to buy dug ones at all, even with a burlap-lined earthen lump. The fact is that the species does not tolerate transplantation well, 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
Common juniper grown in a container is planted throughout the season. Plants dug up with a ball of earth are placed on the site in spring or autumn. Preference should be given to planting at the beginning of the season in regions with temperate and cold climates, in the south - when the heat subsides, in October-November.
The algorithm for planting common juniper is as follows:
- Part of the substrate is removed from the planting hole.
- The plant is installed in the center, the root collar should be flush with the ground surface. That is, you need to plant juniper so that the surface of the earthen lump taken out of the container is sprinkled with only a thin layer of soil - no more than 0.5 cm.
- If the variety is narrowly columnar and exceeds 50 cm in height, it is better to tie it to a peg previously driven into the bottom of the hole.
- The soil is added 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 every meter of height.
- The soil is mulched, preferably treated with coniferous bark purchased at a garden center.
Watering and fertilizing
Immediately after planting an ordinary juniper, water it often and abundantly, not allowing the soil to dry out. Then moistening 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 tolerate drought (within reason) and mild soil soaking. But it’s still better to water as needed.
Irrigation of the crown is very beneficial for the crop. It is done in warm weather at sunset, but so that the needles have time to dry before nightfall.
It is better to feed common juniper twice during the growing season:
- in spring with a high nitrogen content;
- in autumn - potassium-phosphorus.
Often gardeners limit themselves to adding the full mineral complex at the beginning of the season. This is quite acceptable, but autumn feeding allows the crop to better cope with air pollution and successfully overwinter.
Foliar fertilizers applied through pine needles are also useful for junipers. 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 common juniper only until the crop is completely rooted - the first year or two after planting.Subsequently, the tree 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 common juniper involves removing dry and diseased branches. The crown usually does not need to form it. If desired, it is easy to create topiary from pyramidal varieties. For initial pruning, you should invite a specialist; the owners will be able to maintain the shape themselves.
Preparing for winter
Newly planted plants need to be protected from frost; in the north it is better to do this for two seasons. In the future, they are limited to mulching the tree trunk circle. Varieties with a pyramidal crown are tied with twine, otherwise the snow will break the branches.
Propagation of common juniper
Species juniper is propagated by seeds after long-term stratification. Varieties with this method rarely inherit decorative characteristics. They are bred by cuttings, and creeping forms by layering.
Juniper shoots can be taken all season long, but for amateurs, spring shoots take root better. On a cutting taken with a “heel,” the lower needles are removed, treated with a stimulant, and 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 crop.If you carry out preventive treatments regularly, use clean tools, and do not bring infected plants to the site, problems rarely arise. Diseases are fought with fungicides, pests are destroyed with insecticides.
The most common problems that arise are:
- Too dry air and lack of irrigation of the crown contribute to the appearance and proliferation of spider mites.
- Moistening 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 mealybugs. 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 remains on the branches for several months, a snow shutte may develop.
- Overmoistening, poor or lack of drainage, and excessively dense soil can cause rot.
To make your life easier, identify the problem in time and begin treatment immediately, the common juniper needs to be examined regularly.
Conclusion
Common juniper is an excellent crop for parks and private plots. The only thing holding back its spread is low resistance to air pollution.
