- a key plant in almost every composition of modern landscape design, the variety of colors, shapes and sizes gives the gardener rich ground for imagination. Next, we will find out what types of juniper are, what are their key features and boarding requirements.
Many gardeners prefer juniper in their garden due to the following properties of this plant: undemanding to moisture and soil fertility, resistance to heat and frost, unpretentiousness in care and a wide palette of colors, plasticity of form and juicy green color all year round. This is one of the few plants that can grow on saline soils. Numerous varieties of evergreen shrubs can decorate not only the garden, but also the window sill in the apartment. Your choice of different types of juniper - lush bushes and slender columns, big trees or ground cover shrubs, giants for use as a living fence or dwarfs for alpine slides.
The geometric crown is suitable for gardens with a regular layout, where you need to create specific points and focus on the correctness of the outlines of the flower beds. Spreading varieties are planted near a rock garden, border or pond, which make these objects more expressive. Spectacular rockeries will be the result of a combination of unshaped and molded junipers, and dwarf bushes are suitable for an oriental-style garden to decorate branching paths and rocky compositions. The following are descriptions of each cultivar of the plant in question, with appropriate grouping by species, growth activity data, and care and planting recommendations.
Common Junipers (Communis)
This type of juniper includes the following varieties.
- Gold Cone is a specimen with a dense narrow conical shape, reaching a meter in width and 4 m in height. The annual growth is 5 cm and 10 cm, respectively. The period of active growth occurs in the summer, the color of young shoots is bright yellow, by autumn it is replaced by yellow-green and bronze by winter. Stagnant waterlogging of the soil is something that this plant does not tolerate. Gold Cone is undemanding to the soil, but it is better not to let it compact. The main advantages are love of the sun and frost resistance. If kept in the shade, the needles will acquire a pleasant green color. For a couple of years after landing in a permanent place, this variety should be given good care, which consists in tying branches for the winter, shelter from the scorching sun and regular watering.
- Hibernika is a variety with a narrow-columnar shape of the crown, reaching a meter in width and 3.5 m in height, the annual growth is similar to the previous variety. This variety has bluish-green, non-spiny needles, is frost-resistant and grows well in well-lit areas. There are no special requirements for the soil. To protect from the sun, the plant must be covered. in early spring, and tie for the winter to prevent deformation and death of branches under the snow.
- Green Carpet - juniper with a dense ground cover crown. An adult plant reaches one and a half meters in width and half a meter in height with an annual growth of 15 cm and 5 cm, respectively. This variety is distinguished by light green creeping shoots with non-thorny needles. For landing, choose well-lit places, slopes and rocky gardens are perfect.
- Suecica is a variety with a columnar crown. The height of an adult plant reaches 4 m, and the width is one meter. The growth in width per year is 5 cm, and in height - 15 cm. These shrubs are dense, dense and vertical shoots with a bluish or sometimes green needle crown. Distinctive features - slow growth, frost resistance, relative unpretentiousness. If you choose a poorly lit place for landing, the crown will become sprawling and loose. This specimen tolerates pruning perfectly, thanks to which you can create fantasy garden compositions from it.
Chinese Junipers (Chinensis)
This variety of junipers is decorative and includes the following types:
- Blaauw is a very unusual variety with an asymmetric crown with ascending shoots. An adult plant reaches one and a half meters in height and width with an annual growth of 5 cm in width and 10 cm in length. This variety is frost-resistant, feels great both in the light and in partial shade. It is better to choose nutritious, drained, light, moderately moist soils with slightly alkaline or neutral pH for it.
- Blue Alps - a variety with a dense crown, the ends of the shoots of which hang down, reaches 2 meters in width and height with an annual growth of 5 cm and 10 cm, respectively. The color of the needles of this juniper when grown in a lighted area is very pleasant, silver-blue. In the shade, the needles may become less saturated. The advantages are frost resistance and undemanding to soil and moisture.
- Kuriwao Gold is a variety with a wide, round or asymmetrical shape that reaches two meters in width and height. The annual increase according to these indicators is 5 cm. Against the background of dark green needles, bright golden young thin shoots stand out very beautifully and quite contrastingly, due to which an impression of airiness and lightness is created. The color in the shade becomes less saturated, so it is better to choose well-lit areas for planting. Great choice there will be a rocky garden, a mixed or coniferous group, as well as a single planting.
- Variegata is a juniper with a pyramidal crown, reaching a meter wide and 2 meters high. The annual growth is 5 cm for both indicators. This variety is distinguished by light yellow spots against a blue-green pyramidal crown. The plant is frost-resistant and sun-loving, there are low requirements for moisture and soil, but it is better to drain it well, avoid stagnant waterlogging and salinization. The destructive effect of the early spring sun must be prevented by covering the plant.
Horizontal (Horizontalis)
This variety includes mainly shrubs, including the following varieties:
- Andorra Variegata is a dwarf shrub with a cushion-shaped crown and raised shoots that radiate from the center in the form of rays. An adult plant reaches 1.5 m in width and 40 cm in height with an annual growth of 5 cm and 3 cm, respectively. The needles are the main decoration of this variety, its color is bright green with soft white patches. In winter, the color becomes purplish purple. Like most varieties of juniper, it is frost-resistant and prefers sunny areas.
- Blue Chip - a shrub with a creeping crown, compared to other horizontal ones, is in the highest demand. Reaches 2 m in width and 30 cm in height, the annual growth is 5 cm and 3 cm, respectively. The shoots of this juniper densely and gracefully spread along the ground, slightly raising the ends. In winter, the silver-blue needles turn purple.
- Blue Forest is a creeping shrub 1.5 m wide and 30 cm high. The annual growth is 5 cm and 3 cm, respectively. The peculiarity of this variety is represented by vertically directed shoots, due to which the effect of a miniature is created. blue forest. The color is most original and attractive in early summer. You can grow both in the lit area and in partial shade.
- Limeglow is a cushion shrub, one and a half meters wide and 40 cm high. The annual growth is 5 cm and 3 cm, respectively. When creating contrasting garden compositions, you should pay attention to the bright, golden yellow needles of this plant. In the shade, the color intensity is lost; heavy soils are not suitable for growing. In winter, it becomes brownish in color.
Cossack (Sabina)
This species also includes upright varieties with creeping or cushion crowns.
- Arcadia reaches 2.5 m in width and 50 cm in height, the crown is creeping, the color is light green. Suitable for growing well-lit areas and slight shading. Crown young plant pillow-shaped, but over time it becomes like a fantasy carpet.
- Glauca. The width of an adult plant is 2 m, the height is 1 m. Usually the color of the needles is gray-blue, but with the advent of cold weather it acquires a bronze hue. Black cones with a waxy coating contrast very interestingly with thick needles. Sunny places promote more active growth.
- Tamariscifolia reaches 2 m in width and 50 cm in height. The branches of this variety are sprawling, often arranged. The color of the needles can be from bluish to light green, the shape is needle-shaped. The color will be more saturated if you choose illuminated areas.
Medium Junipers (Media)
- Gold Coast has a spreading dense crown. The maximum width of the plant is 2 m. The shoots are horizontal, rich in decorative golden needles, which darken with the onset of winter.
- Mint Julep is a spreading shrub with arcuate branches, the shoots hang down elegantly. Is different active growth, bright green needles and rounded gray berries. An adult plant reaches 2 m in width and 1.5 m in height.
- Old Gold is a compact, wide, well-shaped shrub. Differs in slow growth, the presence of decorative golden needles. Reaches 2 m wide.
- Hetzii is a shrub with a wide crown and gray-blue needles. Requires well-drained and relatively fertile soil, grows up to 2 m wide and 1.5 m high.
- Gold Star - spreading shrub with scaly needle needles golden color. Reaches 2 m in width and a meter in height.
- Pfitzeriana Aurea is a shrub with a rounded crown and skeletal horizontal dense branches. The color of young shoots is golden-lemon, an adult plant is yellowish. With the onset of summer, the needles acquire a greenish tint. Differs in slow growth and high winter hardiness.
Scaled Junipers (Squamata)
This category includes junipers with a silver-blue crown with approximately the same growth rates - Blue Carpet, Blue Star and Meyeri. The latter is characterized by the most active growth - for the year 15 cm wide and 10 in height.
Rocky (Scopulorum)
It is also worth highlighting the species of coastal junipers Conferta, the most prominent representative of which is Schlager - a dwarf shrub with a creeping crown and long green needles. Looks good in rock gardens and rocky gardens. No less decorative is the virgin juniper Virginiana Gray Owl with a dense wide crown and silver or greenish needles.
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, these trees are perhaps the most beautiful among conifers. They are distinguished by their diverse shape, graceful needles and decorative fruits.
In addition, it is unlikely that there will be another such 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 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 juniper shrubs - 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 of different types looks like:
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? 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 are 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 of ordinary 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. BUT North American Indians, for example, patients with tuberculosis were kept in juniper thickets, not allowed 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 industry 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, standard planting material will be obtained 2-3 years earlier than from seeds, and the signs will be completely preserved. mother plant. Reproduction by layering is the fastest and easiest way of vegetative propagation of the Cossack juniper, but very unproductive.
Such garden varieties this type of juniper
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 is 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. Bark - scaly-flaky, dark gray 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 of slopes and rocky places, because it is not picky about soil 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 plantings, 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 a 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.
Various forms of this juniper are grown, among which there are plants with a spherical, vase-shaped, flattened crown.
In our gardens, this type of 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. It looks good on alpine slides, 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 autumn (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. The most suitable time for cutting cuttings is 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 temperature regime. The optimum air temperature 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. The 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 in a 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 in the garden:
Juniper in the garden
Junipers are worthy of wide application in the design of 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 have settled in nature from the polar regions to the subtropics, are recognized not only as one of their oldest plants, but also as the most valuable crops for gardening. Having studied common junipers, types and varieties with photos, descriptions and features, you can transform and country cottage area, and extensive 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 of 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 with increased soil and air humidity.
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. According to various sources, 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, culture is common in the northern regions of Europe, on Far East, in 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 to: short stature, slow pace of development and decorative, thanks to light stripes, needle-like foliage that lives for about 2 years. Rounded gray berries ripen in the second year after formation.
In the wild due to slow growth and small size Siberian juniper needs to be protected. In the garden, the plant is more comfortable even with 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 at the beginning of the 19th 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 larger 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 characteristics of the plant. 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 have been created today, 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 is covered for the winter months, 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. A slender evergreen plant in the first half of the 19th century was 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 culture in the middle of the 17th century.
The plant has small needles of a mixed type and the same medium-sized cones that ripen 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 silver, bluish and light needles have been bred.
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, which easily tolerates dry air and poor soil, but is not winter-hardy enough for middle lane 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 spherical cones. Dahurian juniper is decorative, unpretentious and extremely winter-hardy.
Video about the types and varieties of juniper in the country
"Juniper, juniper,
Blue in autumn yellowness.
Give me berries, juniper
Give me a thorn!"
/eng. folk song/
plant description
Juniper (cypress family) is a coniferous plant widely demanded in landscape design. Due to the presence of a variety of shapes and sizes (from narrow and pyramidal giants to creeping dwarfs), it is suitable for the realization of any gardener's idea. Columnar junipers are used as an accent in landscape composition, and are also suitable for laying hedges. Creeping varieties look great in rock gardens and rockeries next to various ground covers and hosts. With the help of shearing and shaping, which the shrub tolerates well, it can be given almost any shape.
The air of the area where the juniper grows is saturated with a unique aroma: the plant emits a large amount of phytoncides.
The noble colors of evergreen needles range from bright green to bluish-steel, with some varieties adding shades of yellow and gold.
The remarkable advantages of juniper are:
- undemanding to soil fertility
- shade tolerance
- drought tolerance
- frost resistance (-40gr)
- longevity
- high decorativeness regardless of the season
Species and varieties
The largest distribution area in vivo in our country there are the following types of juniper: ordinary, Siberian and Cossack.
Common juniper- has creeping (up to 50 cm), shrub (1-3 meters) and tree-like (up to 12 meters) forms. Bark various shades grey. It is distributed not only in Russia, but also everywhere in our latitudes, from Canada to Japan.
For planting, choose open, well-lit places. It is undemanding to soil fertility, but does not develop well on clayey dense soils.
Common juniper does not tolerate transplantation, so specimens taken from the forest rarely take root.
It has high frost resistance.
Common juniper cones are widely used as a spice, for making wine, smoking various products, as a medicinal raw material.
| Variety name | Height, m | needle color | crown shape |
Tall |
|||
| hibernica | 3,5 | bluish | columnar |
| Meyer | 4 | silvery | wide-pointed |
| Sentinel | 4 | green | columnar |
| Suecica | 10 | green | narrow, columnar |
medium height |
|||
| golden | narrow conical | ||
| Horstmann | 1,5-2 | green | weeping |
| Compressa | 1 | bluish | columnar |
| Suecica nana | 1,5-2 | blue | columnar |
| Suecica aurea | 1-1,5 | yellow, yellow-green | columnar, narrow |
creeping |
|||
| Repanda | 0,3-0,5 | dark green | creeping, round, flat |
| Hornibrookii | 0,5 | green with light stripes | creeping |
| Spotty Spreader | 0,2 | green, white-green | creeping |
| Nana aurea | 0,5 | yellow golden | creeping |
| green carpet | 0,1 | light green | creeping |
Siberian juniper differs from ordinary juniper in smaller needles and a low height of a creeping bush. Grows in mountainous areas. More decorative than common juniper, thanks to two-color needles - green with white shades.
Juniper Cossack- a widespread shrub in the European part of Russia, Southern Urals, Altai, mountains of Central Asia. Creeping forms predominate. Very unpretentious and drought-resistant, grows in a dense cover due to the easy rooting of branches. As it grows, it can occupy a large area, so perennial flowers and shrubs next to it should be planted with caution. Good for cutting and shaping. It has good endurance - it tolerates both drought and frost. Favorably looks on the background of the lawn, in the rock garden. It differs from the common juniper in the poisonousness of cones and a specific smell. When in contact with the ground, the branches take root on their own. In addition to decorative functions, it can also perform practical ones: its roots strengthen the slopes well.
| Variety name | Height, m | needle color | crown shape |
| Tamariscifolia | 1 | bluish | prostrate |
| Variegata | 0,5 | green with white highlights | prostrate |
| Cupressifolia | 0,5 | bluish green | wide, creeping |
| erecta | 2 | dark green | pyramidal |
| Arcaida | 0,5 | light green | prostrate |
| Fastigiata | 5-8 | dark green | narrow-columnar |
| Femina | 1-1,5 | dark green | widely procumbent |
juniper scaly- shrub with dense branches and dark brown bark. Growth area - China, Taiwan, Himalayas. It differs from other species in less frost resistance. It has a dense, decorative crown. The needles are sharp-needled, very hard.
| Variety name | Height, m | needle color | crown shape |
| blue carpet | 0,3 | blue | flat, wide |
| blue star | 1,5-2 | blue | wide, dense, semicircular |
| Meyeri | 2-5 | bluish | prostrate |
| golden flame | 2-5 | yellow-and-white | prostrate |
| Loderi | 1-1,5 | green-blue | slightly pin-shaped |
(prostrate) in nature lives mainly in the USA and Canada. A creeping shrub with long branches. Does not tolerate low humidity. Characterized by slow growth.
| Variety name | Height, m | needle color | crown shape |
| Admirabilis | 0,25 | bluish | braided, dense |
| Adpressa | 0,15 | green, white-green | braided, dense |
| bar harbor | dark green, grey-green | dense, recumbent, prostrate | |
| blue chips | 0,3 | blue | compact |
| Douglasii | 0,5 | silver green | creeping, weaving |
| Golden Carpet | 0,1 | yellow-green | creeping, dense |
| blue forest | 0,4 | silver blue | dense, raised |
| winter blue | 0,3 | silver-green, blue in winter | creeping, shoots raised |
| Prince of Wales | 0,3 | blue | creeping |
| limeglow | 0,4 | lemon yellow | vase shape |
| ice blue | 0,15 | bluish green | creeping, with long shoots |
| Hughes | 0,5 | silver blue | creeping |
juniper chinensis naturally grows in China and other Asian countries. It has tree-like and creeping forms. Quite hardy, but in dry climates it can suffer from a lack of air humidity. Slow-growing, at a young age does not tolerate frost.
| Variety name | Height, m | needle color | crown shape |
| Stricta | 2,5 | bluish green | narrow pin-shaped |
| Blue Alps | 2,5-4 | green-silver | compact |
| Spartan | 6 | green | columnar |
| Plumosa aurea | 1 | yellow | wide, outstretched |
| Leeana | 10 | bright green | columnar, dense |
| Ketelerii | 10 | green | pin-shaped, dense |
| gold coast | 1 | golden yellow | wide, flat |
| Pfitzeriana aurea | 1 | yellow-green | wide, spreading |
The most common are tall columnar forms. Can be used for hedges. In nature, it grows in Canada and the USA, and in Russia it is widely represented in parks, due to its stability and high decorativeness. Shade-tolerant, winter-hardy, drought-resistant. Does not tolerate transplant well. In places of natural growth, its wood is used to make pencils. In plantings it goes well with deciduous trees and shrubs. Not capricious in relation to the soil, grows well on loam and clay soils.
Juniper rocky. Naturally grows in the USA. There are both tree and shrub forms. Close to virgin juniper. It does not tolerate shading well, spreading branches suffer from snowfall, they need to be tied up.
| Variety name | Height, m | needle color | crown shape |
| blue arrow | 2-3 | grey-blue | columnar |
| Globe | 2 | silver green | round |
| Skyrocket | 3 | grey-green | narrow |
| Repens | 0,5 | blue | creeping |
| Table tor | 2 | silver blue | sprawling |
Landing
Plants with a closed root system purchased from a nursery can be planted at any time of the year. It is enough to provide the seedling with good watering for the first time. Planting of rooted cuttings and seedlings in a permanent place is carried out in spring or autumn.
The landing site is chosen sunny. In the shade, plants with variegated needles will inevitably lose their decorative effect.
Although the plant is undemanding to the soil, when planting it is necessary to proceed from the area of \u200b\u200bits growth in natural environment. The soil for the Cossack and common juniper is slightly alkaline (in autumn, lime or dolmite flour is applied to the planting site). Some species feel good on rocky soils. Juniper virginsky prefers loams and black soil. It is necessary to choose a place and neighbors taking into account the growth of the plant.
How to plant a juniper:
- Preparing landing pit size 1 by 1 m.
- For plants that do not like stagnant moisture, we arrange drainage: we pour crushed stone, broken bricks at the bottom of the pit.
- Carefully remove the seedling from the container and lower it into the hole (without deepening).
- We fall asleep with earth and water abundantly.
Planted plants need more accurate regular watering than any kind of top dressing. In winter, their needles can suffer from heavy snowfall, therefore, in tall and medium-sized shrubs, branches must be tied up. To prevent burning, creeping forms are covered with spunbond, but usually only young plants in the 1st and 2nd years after planting need this.
Important! Juniper transplantation is undesirable: it is very difficult to dig up a plant without damaging the taproot.
When choosing a type of shrub, be guided by the place of its growth in nature. For regions with a hot climate, the most suitable juniper will be Cossack, virgin. For the middle latitudes of Russia - Chinese, horizontal, scaly, ordinary.
The plant propagates by seeds, rooted layering and cuttings. Before planting, the seeds must be stratified (keep in the refrigerator for about a month), and before planting, scarify - file a hard shell. For better germination, soil from under adult bushes is added to the sowing site. Shoots appear in 1-3 years.
The easiest way to propagate is by rooted cuttings. In creeping forms, branches often take root on their own when in contact with the ground. Such a branch can be carefully cut and transplanted to a new place with a clod of earth.
Green cuttings for propagation are taken only from young plants, cut them “with a heel” and soaked in a solution of a root formation stimulator. Cuttings of columnar varieties are planted straight, creeping - obliquely. The appearance of new buds indicates that the cutting has taken root.
Juniper diseases
1. Physiological drying of needles.
Occurs in winter, especially on the sunny side. In the needles, under the influence of the sun, active photosynthesis begins to occur, for which the roots do not provide nutrition, since the earth is frozen. Columnar crowns are especially affected. Prevention - winding with a covering material, spilling the roots with warm water.
2. Rust.
A fungal disease that looks like orange growths on branches. Sick branches must be cut and burned. Prevention - treatment fungicidal preparations("Tilt", "Skor", "Byleton", "Vectra"), separation of landings with fruit trees(apple, pear), since it is from them that the infection of junipers occurs.
A fungal disease that manifests itself in early summer: last year's needles turn yellow, then black dots appear on it. Dried branches must be cut and burned. Prevention: treatment with fungicidal preparations ("Skor", "Ridomil Gold", "Strobi", "Kvadris").
4. Drying of branches.
Can affect junipers of all types. It manifests itself in the spring: first, small twigs turn yellow, then the disease covers an increasing area of \u200b\u200bthe bush. Dark spots appear on the needles and bark. Caused by several types of fungi. The reason for the appearance is wrong fit plants: thickening, heavy soils, stagnant water. Sick shrunken branches must be cut and burned, fallen needles must be collected. With a large area of \u200b\u200bdamage, the bush is uprooted. For prevention, it is necessary to follow the rules of planting and treat juniper in spring and autumn with fungicidal preparations.
Junipers in landscape design
Junipers found wide application in landscape design. Evergreen conifers are especially beautiful in a winter landscape, and in summer they favorably set off flowering plants. Shrubs of dwarf creeping forms are indispensable for rockeries and alpine slides. Tall specimens will create a beautiful accent in compositions with a circular view, and a row of columnar junipers will close the fence in the background. Juniper pruning and shaping allow you to give it almost any shape.
Examples of finished compositions using junipers:
1. For lighted places.
The composition is based on ornamental coniferous plants. In the spring, primroses will begin flowering, in the summer it will continue with spirea and daylilies. This composition will look beautiful against the backdrop of lawn grass, it includes:
- Day-lily
- Primrose
- Spiraea japonica Little Princess
- Thuja western Smaragd
- Thuja western Danica
- Juniper Andorra
2. In lilac tones for illuminated places and partial shade.
The purple leaves of the vesicle, barberry and geyhera are set off by white clusters of spirea and a scattering of cinquefoil flowers. The blue needles of the juniper give the composition nobility and depth. The composition of the composition:
- Heuchera Palace Purple
- Barberry Atropurpurea Nana
- Potentilla Royal Flush
- Rock Juniper Blue Arrow
- Juniper scaly Blue Carpet
- Spirea Grefsheim
- Vesicle Diabolo
In some botanical reference books, the coniferous juniper tree is referred to as heather, and among the Turkic peoples this plant is called juniper. Having traced the etymology of the name of the genus in Slavic literature, one can associate this word with the ancient verbs “weave” and “knit”. This is one of the longest-lived plants, but it is very poorly renewed on its own - human help is required to save trees.
conifer juniper ( Juniperus) belongs to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). The genus includes more than 60 species distributed mainly in the mountains of the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The appearance of plants is very diverse - from large trees to creeping shrubs. A characteristic feature of many species is variability depending on the growing conditions: in the lowlands they have a tree-shrub crown shape, and in the mountains they have an elfin crown.
On this page you can find photos, names and descriptions of different types of junipers, as well as get tips on growing them in the garden.
What does juniper look like: a description of the plant and its photo
The leaves (needles) of junipers are very diverse: opposite or whorled, needle-like, scaly, or both. The leaves of young (juvenile) plants are always needle-like. Varietal forms of the same species can have needles of any type. The color of the needles of different species can vary from green to gray. In junipers of the subgenus Sabina, the needles change color by winter, acquiring a protective brown tint.
Junipers are dioecious plants, less often monoecious.
Male "flowers" - ovoid on short branches, female - rounded, on short scaly branches, formed at the ends of long shoots. Fruits in small, round, semi-dry berries (cone berries), ripen in the second, less often in the first year.
The genus Juniper is divided into three subgenera, uniting related species.
The largest of them is the subgenus Sabina, which, in particular, includes such species popular in gardens as:
- Juniper Cossack ( J. sabina)
- Chinese juniper ( J.chinensis)
- Juniper rocky ( J. scopulorum)
- Juniper scaly ( J. squamata)
- Juniper virginiana ( J. virginiana)
The second in terms of volume is the subgenus Juniperus (Juniperus), which includes, in particular, such species as:
- Common Juniper ( J. communis)
- Juniper coastal ( J.conferta)
- Juniper hard ( J. rigida)
The smallest subgenus - Karyotsedrus (Caryocedrus) includes only one species - Juniper stone fruit (J. drupacea).
Shrub forms of junipers are very characteristic of the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. On the border of the forest and alpine zones, they often form extensive thickets. The most common mountain European species are undoubtedly M. Cossack (J. sabina) and M. ordinary (J. communis).
Large woody junipers are typical plants of the mountains of Central and Central Asia, where they form groves - junipers. This type of junipers received this name from the Turkic name of the tree - juniper. These are mainly M. Turkestan (J. turkestanica), M. Zeravshan (J. seravschanica), M. hemispherical (J. semiglobosa), and M. Turkmen (J. turcomanica). In nature, all these species are extremely hardy and can withstand temperature extremes from +40 to -40 ° C. Unfortunately, this hardiness is not a guarantee of well-being of junipers in northern gardens, since it directly depends on highly aerated "breathing" stony mountain soils.
See how the junipers of shrub and tree forms look in the photo:
Creeping species of coniferous juniper plants determine the landscape of the highlands. High-mountain dwarf junipers are characterized by an unusual nature of crown development associated with a harsh climate - plant trunks are pressed to the ground, bent between scree stones, and eventually die off completely, passing the baton of life to branches rooted in rubble. Such populations form extensive carpet curtains that live for hundreds of years. Similarly, coastal dwarfs are formed, but, unlike mountain ones, their trunks and branches are buried not in rubble, but in sand.
Typical elfin species are:
- Juniper horizontal ( J. horizontalis)
- Siberian juniper ( J. sibirica)
- Juniper Dahurian ( J. davurica)
- Juniper crowded ( J.conferta)
Types and popular varieties of juniper: photo, name and description
Juniperus chinensis- Juniper Chinese.
Grows in China. Mongolia and Japan.
In nature, it is a tree up to 20 m high or a shrub with a free-growing, wide-pin-shaped or creeping crown. Naturally, the size and type of the crown depend solely on the growing conditions - the more favorable they are, the larger the plant. Not surprisingly, Chinese juniper has a huge number of cultivars.
The branches of natural forms are thin, simultaneously with two types of needles on the same plant - scaly and needle. The scaly needles are tightly pressed to the branches and have a rhombic shape, the needle-shaped needles are collected in whorls. The ends of the branches of young growth are straight and covered with scaly needles.
As you can see in the photo, juniper of “wild” forms is dark gray-green, in varietal forms it is the most diverse, including golden:
Male and female plants may differ. Fruits (cones) are brown with a powdery ring, rounded, 6-8 mm in diameter. Ripens in the second year. Natural varieties are quite frost-resistant, but in severe winters they freeze slightly. The degree of frost resistance of varieties is different, but most of them are quite stable.
Many cultivars of the coniferous juniper plant have a controversial origin, are considered hybrids with the Cossack juniper (J. sabina) and bear the name of the middle juniper (J. media). Often these varieties are referred to one species or another, but most often to the Pfitzeriana varietal group, including such popular cultivars as Gold Coast and Old Gold.
In the conditions of the Moscow region, they can actively grow. But in unfavorable snowy winters, breaks and breakage of branches are quite frequent. When growing these junipers, even well-rooted and overgrown specimens can suffer from the spring sun and withering winds. In conditions with high humidity air feel more comfortable.
Popular varieties of Chinese juniper:
Juniperus chinensis Expansa Aureospicata
Wide, tiered form of growth. The needles are needle. Grey-green. The branches are spiky, some of them ending in creamy golden growths. Estimated dimensions at the age of 10: width 1.5-1.8 m; height 40-60 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Parsonii
Broad spreading, tiered form of growth. The needles are needle. Grey-green. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 3.0 m; height 50-70 cm. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Aurea
Broad spreading, tiered form of growth.
Look at the photo - the needles of the juniper plant are soft, needle-shaped, golden:
Vegetative shoots are bright, turn green over time, Branches are spiky. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 2.0-2.2 m; height about 1 m. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Blue and Gold
Tiered, vase-shaped form of growth. The needles are soft, needle-like. Grey-blue with golden spots. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at the age of 10: width up to 1.5 m; height 1 m. Completely frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Compacta
Longline, creeping, flattened form of growth. The needles are soft, needle-shaped, gray-blue. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at the age of 10: width 1.5-2.0 m; height about 50 cm. Fully frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Gold Star
Broad spreading, tiered form of growth. The needles are soft, needle-like, golden. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 2.0-2.2 m; height about 1.0 m. When describing a juniper plant of this variety, it is worth noting its complete frost resistance. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana Golden Saucer
Broadly spreading, tiered form of growth. The needles are soft, needle-like. Lettuce golden. Vegetative shoots are bright, turn green over time. The branches are pointed. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 2.0-2.5 m; height about 1.0 m. Fully frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
Juniperus chinensis Plumosa Aureovariegata
Dwarf form. The needles are green-blue. Branches with white-cream tips, have a somewhat vertical direction of growth. Estimated dimensions at 10 years of age: width 60-80 cm; height about 50 cm. Fully frost-resistant. Damage to the needles from the rays of the spring sun is possible.
These photos show varieties of Chinese juniper species, the names of which are given above:
Juniperus communis- Common juniper
A highly variable species, common in the forests and mountains of Europe, North Asia to North China and North Africa.
A columnar or pin-shaped tree or a multi-stemmed shrub from 2 to 20 m high. Like many other junipers, the type of crown depends on the growing conditions, so in mountainous areas you can find forms with an elfin crown spread on the ground. The variety of natural types has led to the emergence of a huge number of cultivars - varieties with different strength and type of crown growth.
Pay attention to the photo - in this type of juniper, young shoots are green, trihedral with longitudinal grooves:
The bark of adult plants is gray-brown, fibrous. The needles are needle-shaped, rigid, prickly, collected in whorls of 3 pcs. The length of the needles is 10-15 mm, the color is green with a white stripe in the center.
Male and female plants do not differ externally. Fruits (cones) are dark gray, as if covered with hoarfrost, rounded, 6-9 mm in diameter. They ripen in 2-3 years. Common juniper is one of the most frost-resistant of its kind. Most cultivars are also completely hardy, but many columnar forms suffer greatly from the spring sun and require shading.
Juniperus communis Berkshire
Mini-variety of common juniper. The needles are prickly, pointed, gray-blue. Annual increments within 3-5 cm. Completely hardy.
Juniperus communis Compressa
Mini-variety of common juniper. Columnar form. This variety of juniper common type the needles are prickly, pointed, green-blue. The branches are close to the trunk. Annual growths are within 3-5 cm. On the south side, it is desirable to shade the plant from the rays of the spring sun. Completely cold hardy.
Juniperus communis Dr.U.
Narrow-columnar variety of common juniper. The needles are prickly, pointed, green. The branches are close to the trunk. The crown is very dense. Annual growths are within 15-20 cm. Shading from the rays of the spring sun of the south-located part of the plant is desirable. Completely cold hardy.
Juniperus communis Spotty Spreader
Dwarf variety of common juniper. Wide-spreading, shrubby form. The needles are soft, green, with irregular white staining. Shading from the rays of the spring sun of the south-located part of the plant is desirable. Completely cold hardy.
Juniperus communis Sterling Silver
Dwarf variety of common juniper. Creeping form. The needles are prickly, gray-blue. Completely cold hardy.
Juniperus communis Suecica Aurea
Mini-variety of common juniper. Columnar form. The needles are prickly, pointed, green-golden. The branches are close to the trunk. Annual growths are within 3-5 cm. Shading from the rays of the spring sun of the south-located part of the plant is desirable. Fully hardy, covered with hoarfrost, round, 8-12 mm in diameter. They ripen in the 2nd year.
Completely cold hardy. It has a few varietal forms.
Juniperus conferta All Gold
Dwarf variety of juniper crowded. Creeping form. The needles are prickly, golden. Annual increments within 5-8 cm. Frost-resistant.
Juniperus conferta- Juniper crowded
It grows on the sands in Japan and on Sakhalin Island, forming dense thickets.
Creeping, strongly creeping shrub, similar to the elfin form of common juniper. When describing this type of juniper, it is worth noting its very long, red-brown branches. The ends of the branches are straight. The needles are light green, needle-shaped, hard, prickly, collected in flat whorls of 3 pcs. Male and female plants do not differ externally. Fruits (cones) are dark blue, exactly
Juniperus horizontalis- Juniper horizontal
It grows in the mountains and along the sandy shores of large lakes in North America.
A creeping shrub with long, tightly pressed branches to the ground. Branches numerous, flat. The needles of the natural form are scaly, tightly pressed to the branches, in cultural forms - different: scaly, needle-shaped or combined. The color of the needles of the natural form is gray-green, varietal - the most diverse: green, gray, golden, mottled.
Fruits (cones) are blue, as if covered with hoarfrost, rounded, 5-6 mm in diameter.
Juniperus horizontalis Blue Pygmy
Micro grade of a juniper horizontal. The needles are prickly, green-blue, sometimes silvery, densely located on the branches. Annual increments up to 1 cm. Completely hardy.
Juniperus horizontalis Golden Carpet
Creeping form of juniper horizontal. The needles are scaly, golden, light green at the base of the branches. In winter it turns brown. Annual increments within 10 cm, Fully hardy. The decoration of the garden will be both a juniper grown on a stem and hanging from it, and a specimen creeping along the ground.
Juniperus horizontalis Mother Lode
Creeping form of juniper horizontal. The needles are scaly, golden, at the base of the branches a little light green. During the summer it gradually acquires brownish tones, turning completely brown in the winter. Annual increments within 10 cm. Completely hardy. The decoration of the garden will be both a juniper grown on a stem and hanging from it, and a specimen creeping along the ground. It is considered one of the most golden junipers.
Juniperus horizontalis Neumann
Micro grade of a juniper horizontal. The needles are prickly, blue-green, sometimes silvery, densely located on the branches. Annual increments up to 1 cm. Completely hardy. Virtually indistinguishable from Juniperus horizontalis Blue Pygmy.
Look at the photo - this variety of juniper is considered the smallest:
Juniperus horizontalis Prince of Wales
Creeping form of juniper horizontal. The needles are scaly, green-blue. Annual increments of more than 10 cm. Crown diameter at the age of 10 years more than 2 m. Fully frost-resistant. The decoration of the garden will be both a juniper grown on a stem and hanging from it, and a specimen creeping along the ground.
Below are photos, names and descriptions of other varieties of junipers.
Other varieties of junipers: photos, names and descriptions
Juniperus sabina- Juniper Cossack
It grows in the mountains of southern and central Europe, in Siberia, the Caucasus and Asia Minor.
Very variable. In nature, it is a shrub that forms extensive clumps up to 4 m high. The trunks are sloping, the branches are more or less creeping with raised branches of young growth. The old bark is reddish-brown, falling off in patches. The needles of the natural form are bluish-green, tightly pressed to the branches, combined - needle and scaly on the same plant. The needles of varietal forms are the most diverse both in shape and color. Male and female plants differ not only generatively, but also in the type of needles - in female specimens, the needle type of needles dominates, and in male specimens, scaly. Some cultivars are naturally selected forms of either female or male plants, such as the Femina and Mascula cultivars.
Fruits (cones) are bluish-black, as if covered with hoarfrost, rounded, 5-7 mm in diameter. They ripen in the first year in autumn or in the second year in spring. Completely cold hardy.
Varieties of Cossack juniper were quite common in our gardens ten or fifteen years ago. The plant was unpretentious, and most importantly - almost the most affordable. But soon many owners small plots somewhat cooled to its acquisition: firstly, it turned out that this juniper has a high growth rate and a significant crown diameter, and secondly, other, not so aggressive and at the same time more interesting, rare species and varieties of conifers appeared on the market .
Juniperus sabina Variegata
Natural form. One of the branches has a mutating, variegated color.
Juniperus sabina Blaue Donau (synonymous with Blue Danube)
Dwarf variety of Cossack juniper. Shrub, spreading, funnel-shaped. The branches are pointed, have a vertical direction of growth. When describing this variety of juniper, it is worth noting its beautiful green-blue needles. Annual growths 20-25 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus sabina Cupressifolia
Dwarf variety of Cossack juniper. Creeping, spreading form. The branches are pointed, have a vertical direction of growth, subsequently fall down. The needles are green-blue. Annual increments within 20 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus sabina Blue Forest
Dwarf variety of Cossack juniper. Dense, creeping, densely apical form. This is one of the best varieties juniper Cossack with short, pointed branches and green-blue needles. Annual growths within 10 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
Juniperus scopulorum- Juniper rocky
It grows in the western regions of North America, on dry spurs of rocks from Texas and Oregon to British Columbia. The species is closely related to Juniperus virginiana, which leads to constant confusion with the definition of varieties of these species.
In nature, it is a tree 10-13 m high, often multi-stemmed. The crown is wide-columnar, pin-shaped or unevenly rounded. The bark is dark red-brown. The needles are scaly, opposite, tightly pressed.
The color of the needles is dark, light or bluish-green. Fruits (cones) are dark blue, as if covered with hoarfrost, rounded, 5-7 mm in diameter, sweetish. Ripe by the end of the second year.
Both natural and cultivated varieties of this juniper are completely hardy.
Juniperus scopulorum Moonglow
Columnar form of rocky juniper. The branches are close to the trunk. The needles are hard, prickly, gray-blue. Plant dimensions at 10 years of age: width within 40 cm, height 3.0 m. Frost-resistant. At a young age, it can be damaged by the rays of the spring sun.
Juniperus sibirica- Siberian juniper
A typical dwarf species of the highlands and polar regions of Eurasia. Systematically close to M. ordinary. In nature, it forms extensive carpet thickets, in horticultural culture - a squat shrub with a wide dense crown. Young shoots are green, trihedral with longitudinal grooves. The bark of adult plants is gray-brown, fibrous.
As you can see in the photo, this variety of juniper needles are needle-shaped, hard, prickly, collected in whorls of 3 pieces:
The length of the needles is 5-8 mm, the color is green with a white stripe in the center. Male and female plants do not differ externally. Fruits (cone berries) are dark gray, exactly covered with hoarfrost, rounded, 6-9 mm in diameter. They ripen in 2-3 years.
Rare in cultivation, but promising for fixing slopes and decorating large rockeries. It has no cultivars or hybrid varieties.
Juniperus squamata- Juniper scaly
It grows in the Himalayas, Central and Western China. In nature, a strongly branched, often creeping shrub that forms extensive, but loose clumps. Trunks and branches are hard, elastic, covered with gray-brown exfoliating bark. Twigs of young growths are long, raised, bluish-green. The needles are needle-shaped, gray-gray, short, dense, prickly, collected in whorls. Fruits (cones) are red-brown, blackening with time, ellipsoid, 6-8 mm long. Ripens in the second year. It is quite frost-resistant, but often suffers from the spring sun.
It has a few, but diverse cultivars, mainly with bluish-blue needles. The shape of the crown of varietal forms is very diverse: “vase-shaped” in the Meyeri variety, spherical - Blue Star, creeping - Blue Carpet. These varieties are the most common in culture and are "typical" for this type of juniper. Also recommended varieties: Holger, Meyeri, Tropical Blue.
Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet
wide, creeping form scaly juniper. The branches are dense, whip-like. Needles are sharp, hard, gray-blue. Annual increments within 10 cm. Frost-resistant. In wet winters, it is often damaged by a fungal infection, as a result of which damage to the needles of the branches can occur. The spring sun exacerbates the damage. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus squamata Holger
It is possible that this is a hybrid of the scaly juniper and the Chinese Pfitzeriana Aurea. Wide, flattened shape. The needles are sharp, turning yellow in the spring, later gray-blue. At the age of 10, the possible sizes are: 50-70 cm in height and 2.0-2.5 m in width. Frost-resistant. In wet winters, it is often damaged by a fungal infection, as a result of which damage to the needles of the branches can occur. The spring sun exacerbates the damage. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus squamata Meyeri
Wide, creeping form of scaly juniper. The branches are dense, whip-like, raised. Needles are sharp, hard, gray-blue, collected in whorls. Annual increments within 10 cm. Frost-resistant. In damp winters, it is often damaged by a fungal infection, as a result of which damage to the needles of the branches can occur. The spring sun aggravates the damage. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus squamata Tropical Blue
Dwarf form of scaly juniper. Very compact, round shape. The needles are sharp, hard, saturated silver-blue. Annual increments within 5-7 cm. Frost-resistant. In wet winters, it is often damaged by a fungal infection, as a result of which damage to the needles of the branches can occur. The spring sun exacerbates the damage. Loss of both individual branches and the entire plant is possible.
Juniperus virginiana- Virginian juniper
The name of this variety of junipers is given by the name of its main distribution area. Trees in their natural habitat grow on the dry, rocky soils of Virginia. They can also be found in wet swampy places in North America - from Canada to Florida. The species is close to J. scopulorum (M. rocky), which leads to constant confusion with the definition of varieties of these species.
It is very variable in nature, but most often it is a tree up to 30 m high. The shape of the crown changes with age - first narrow-columnar, and later pin-shaped with drooping and horizontally spaced branches. Trunk up to 1 m thick.
The bark is exfoliating, its color varies from gray to reddish brown. The needles are gray, combined - both needle-shaped and scaly on the same plant. The scaly needles dominate, but the needle needles are quite noticeable, especially on old trees, where they reach a length of 10 mm. Scaly needles are opposite, lanceolate or ovate-rhombic, 1-2 mm long.
The flowers are monoecious (male and female on the same specimen). Fruits (cones) are dark blue, shiny, as if covered with hoarfrost, almost round, 6 mm in diameter.
Both natural and varietal forms are completely frost-resistant.
It has a few, but diverse cultivars according to the type of growth. The most common are the columnar Skyrocket and the flattened Gray Owl.
Juniperus virginiana Gray Owl
A medium-sized variety of virgin juniper. In youth, a prostrate-raised form, which becomes very wide, multi-tiered with age. Branches lash-like, raised. The needles are prickly, gray-blue. Annual increments within 15-20 cm. Completely frost-resistant.
How to grow juniper in the country: agricultural planting and care in the open field (with photo)
For planting and successful care of juniper, you need to take care of loose, slightly acidic loamy soils, and sandy soils. Dwarf varieties should not be grown in excessively rich soils - they may lose their typical crown shape.
When caring for junipers, adult specimens do not require additional feeding. Young plants can be fed in the spring after snow melts on wet ground with a complex or combined mineral fertilizer in a weakened concentration. Fresh manure and feces are strictly excluded.
These photos show the agricultural technique of planting and caring for junipers:
In order to care for junipers in the way that proper agricultural technology suggests, it is necessary to ensure the absence of stagnant and groundwater.
Frost resistance of species is different. Mature specimens are more resistant than young ones. It is possible to build a shelter from frost only for low-growing varietal forms.
As shown in the photo, when caring for junipers, medium-sized specimens are insulated with coniferous spruce branches, for dwarf ones they arrange a “hut”:
To avoid breakage by heavy snow and loss of shape, a slight contraction of the branches of multi-stemmed varietal specimens is mandatory.
The use of junipers in garden landscape design (with photo)
It is not surprising that these beautiful and diverse plants have become one of the main ones for the formation of ornamental garden compositions in almost all regions of the Earth. Depending on the nature and strength of growth, the type and color of the needles, each of the species and varieties of junipers in landscape design is used in its own way. They are good as dominants and tapeworms, for creating groups and borders, for planting in mixborders and rockeries. Junipers are indispensable in garden design and to maintain a constant color of the garden - none of the genera of conifers has such a rich variety of needle colors: all shades of green, gray-white and golden yellow. Junipers absolutely painlessly tolerate a shaping haircut throughout the year. To curb growth and give compactness to sprawling and creeping varieties, cutting any branches is possible.
Look at the photo - in garden design, junipers of bush species and varieties are good for forming clipped hedges:
Compact multi-vertex forms are used for natural unshorn) hedges and borders. Dense narrow-pyramidal varieties are indispensable for creating sheared columns, arches and spirals. Tall wide-pyramidal cultivars are convenient for forming trimmed longline compositions in the Japanese style.
One of the main conditions for growing juniper from seeds is the use of only freshly harvested planting material. When stored under normal conditions, germination is lost after 1-2 years.
Seeds should be collected in the fall, as soon as the cones are ripe. To improve germination, they must be removed from the fruit and washed. Seeds have very hard shells, without breaking which they cannot germinate. In addition, the seed embryo is not ready for germination, as it is at rest. In nature, the process of breaking the integument takes place in the stomach of the birds that have swallowed the seeds, and the awakening of the embryo occurs during a long stay in the soil.
In a horticultural crop for growing juniper, the seeds are scarified, that is, they artificially violate the covers. For junipers, the best method is chemical, in which dry seeds are placed in sulfuric acid for 30 minutes, after which they are gently washed. After this treatment, the seeds are sown in open ground. They germinate in the spring.
Another method of seed germination is also possible, based on the combined stratification of the nation, which creates ideal conditions for the awakening of the embryo. Immediately after collecting and cleaning the seeds, they are mixed with large, clean, slightly damp sand, sawdust or sphagnum moss, placed in plastic bags and stored for 2-3 months at a temperature of +20 to +30 °C. In the future, the seeds are stored for 3-4 months in a refrigerator or cellar at a temperature of + 3 ... + 5 ° C. During the stratification period, it is necessary to maintain an even moderate level of substrate moisture and to run into temperature fluctuations.
In the spring, stratified seeds are washed and sown in boxes or bowls. Crops are exposed to a warm (+18 ... + 23 ° С) place, where they germinate. Seedlings are kept in the light, but not in the bright sun and moderately watered, dive if necessary. After hardening in the fresh air, they are planted in a ridge.
To simplify the process, seeds after stratification can be immediately sown in open ground ridges. The combination of chemical scarification with further stratification guarantees a higher germination rate.
Varietal varieties during seed propagation weakly repeat the characteristic features, and it is very difficult to determine them in the first year. For propagation of varietal forms, vegetative propagation is used.
Reproduction of junipers in the garden by cuttings (with video)
The method of propagation of junipers by horizontal layering does not guarantee the preservation of the shape of the crown in columnar plants, but it is very good for elfin forms. Rooting takes place throughout the year.
Cuttings provide the most complete repetition of all varietal characteristics. However, not all junipers are equally easy to propagate by cuttings. Relatively well rooted cuttings from young varietal plants, even better - cuttings taken from plants with elfin crown type. Cuttings of many wild species, especially those taken from old specimens, root very poorly.
Cuttings are carried out in the spring before or at the very beginning of the awakening of the kidneys. You can do this in the summer, when the young growths harden, but in this case the cuttings do not have time to form roots and hibernate only with callus influxes.
Mature shoots of the previous year are suitable for spring early summer rooting, in the middle of summer the growths of the current year are cut off. In columnar and narrow-pyramidal forms, only shoots tending upward, but not the strongest, are taken; in creeping ones, everything except vertical ones; in plants with a free, oval or spherical crown, any cuttings can be taken. The best cuttings are short side branches plucked from the main branch with a piece of old wood - with a "heel". Harvest them in the morning or on cloudy days.
For propagation of junipers in the garden, cuttings are rooted in boxes filled with a special substrate consisting of coarse washed sand with the addition of perlite in a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1 or high-moor sour peat (3:1). The cuttings are immersed in the substrate at an angle of 60-70, and in no case should they be turned upside down with the back of the branch up.
During spring cuttings in the initial period, before bud break, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of +15…+18 ᵒС, and then bring it to +20…+23 °С. It is undesirable to allow sharp fluctuations in temperature and raise it above +25 ° C. Direct sunlight is especially dangerous for cuttings, so they need to be shaded.
Excessive moisture in the substrate leads to the death of the cuttings. To avoid this, good drainage is needed. However, the combination of a slightly moist substrate with high air humidity stimulates rooting. To improve results, you can use preparations for root formation, strictly adhering to the instructions attached to them.
If you take care of the junipers in the garden in the country in the way that proper agricultural technology suggests, then spring cuttings can take root by mid-summer, and summer cuttings by the end of autumn. But sometimes, by autumn, the cuttings do not form roots, having only a thickening at the cut site - callus. In this case, they need shelter for the winter. Well-rooted plants do not cover.
Watch the video "Reproduction of juniper by cuttings" to better understand how this agricultural technique is performed:
