Juniper plant in the photo

Ornamental types of junipers, both in personal plots and in Russian gardens, are still relatively rare. And not at all because they are not worthy of the attention they deserve. On the contrary, judging by the description of the species of juniper, among the conifers, these trees are perhaps the most beautiful.They are distinguished by a varied shape, graceful needles and decorative fruits.

In addition, it is unlikely that there is still the same natural ozonizer of air that cleans it from harmful organisms in a short time and in a significant radius. It is not for nothing that among junipers there is an aura of benevolence and peace. By right, this plant is medicinal.

The homeland of the 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 rocky 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 in biological requirements.

Juniper - evergreen coniferous plant, belonging to the Cypress family. These can be trees from 12 to 30 m in height. There are also ornamental shrubs, junipers - creeping (up to 40 cm in height) and erect (up to 1-3 m). The leaves (needles) of this plant are acicular or scaly.

Look at the photo of what different types of juniper look 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 are berry-shaped, with a bluish bloom, bearing 1-10 seeds. Blossoming in April-May. Cones usually ripen in the second year after flowering.

What do the roots of a juniper plant look like? The root system of these trees and shrubs is pivotal, with developed lateral branching. Strong 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. Volatile substances have a pronounced phytoncidal effect. The pine scent 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. Well-known beneficial role of pillows for sleeping with dry juniper bark and steam, bath brooms, relieve joint and neurological pain.

Branches of all types of conifers, juniper with live needles, are popularly used to fumigate an infected room or simply to refresh 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 conical crown.

Young shoots in this species are green at first, then reddish, glabrous, round. The bark of branches and trunks is grayish-brown, dark, scaly-flaky. Needles in whorls of three, shiny, lanceolate-linear, 1-1.5 cm in length, 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. Begins to bear fruit at the age of 5-10. Single or several cones, spherical, up to 10 mm in diameter.

As you can see in the photo of a juniper, the fruits of the tree in a mature state are dark blue with a bluish waxy bloom:

Common juniper
Common juniper

The berries have a resinous smell and a sweetish-pleasant taste. Contains up to 40% sugar. Bountiful harvest repeats after 3-4 years. Pine berries are collected, shaking them off 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. When transplanted without a lump, the earth takes root with difficulty. Propagated by seeds that ripen within 2-3 years and have an oblong shape and brownish-brown color.

Known decorative forms common juniper:

Juniper "Pyramidal" in the photo

"Pyramidal" with a columnar crown,

"Pressed"- undersized shrub with dense dark green needles,

"Horizontal"- a low creeping shrub, densely covered with blue-green needles, sharp and thorny.

Look at the photo of the varieties of this type of juniper:

Juniper
Juniper

These plants propagate by cuttings and grafting. The 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 even in Ancient egypt, Rome, Greece and Russia. It is a good urinary and choleretic, expectorant and antimicrobial agent. And the North American Indians, for example, kept tuberculosis patients in juniper thickets, not allowing them to leave until they recovered completely.

In the 17th century in Russia, oil and alcohol were made from juniper fruits. The latter went to the manufacture of 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, 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 are still used to prepare jelly, marmalade, syrup, which is added to jelly, confectionery and bakery products.

Common juniper cones contain essential oils and 20-25% glucose; in terms of sugar content, they are not inferior to grapes. They are used in medicine as a diuretic, in the alcoholic beverage industry for the production of gin, in the confectionery - 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 dachas and personal plots is used in single and group plantings, as well as for hedges:

Juniper in summer cottages and household plots

The name of this type of juniper is most often heard by everyone, since it is the most studied and used as a medicinal plant.

In autumn, the fruits of the juniper are harvested. They are fragrant, black-brown in color and sweet-spicy in taste. They are used to prepare infusions and decoctions (1 tablespoon of crushed fruits in a glass of water), which are prescribed as a diuretic and disinfectant for diseases of the kidneys, bladder, kidney and liver stones. Decoctions are also used for gout, rheumatism, arthritis, helping to eliminate 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 with your doctor, 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. The fruits are contraindicated in acute inflammatory processes in the kidneys.

Juniper Cossack in the photo

Juniper Cossack- a low, creeping shrub with recumbent or ascending branches covered with dense needles with a silvery shade.

Unlike ordinary juniper, the Cossack pine berries are poisonous. They are small, spherical, brown-black in color with a bluish bloom and a very unpleasant odor.

By touching the ground, the branches of the plant can take root. Growing, the juniper forms large clumps 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 for landscaping, for strengthening rocky slopes, in decorative groups on lawns.

When this type of juniper is propagated by green cuttings, the standard planting material will be obtained 2-3 years earlier than from seeds, and the signs of the mother plant will be completely preserved. Reproduction by layering is the fastest and easy way vegetative propagation Cossack juniper, but very unproductive.

Such garden varieties of this type of juniper are known as

Juniper "columnar"
Juniper "upright",

"Columnar", "erect",

Juniper form "cypress-leaved"
Juniper form "variegated"

"Cypress", "variegated"

Juniper form "tamariksolistnaya"

and "Tamariksolistnaya".

The most interesting is "white-bordered" with almost white needles at the ends of the branches. Each is decorative in its own way and differs in the shade and shape of the 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 bloom, contain 2-6 pcs. seeds. Frost-resistant, drought-resistant.

Chinese juniper in the photo

Juniper chinese- 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 (opposite and needle-shaped in three whorls crosswise), on the shoots - scaly, rhombic, obtuse, tightly pressed to the shoot up to 1.5 mm in length. Propagated by seeds and cuttings.

The cones are single or in groups, spherical or ovoid, 6-10 mm in size, when ripe are blue-black.

This type of juniper prefers fertile, well-moisturized soils. Drought does not tolerate well. Without visible damage, it tolerates a temperature drop down to -30 °.

As you can see in the photo, this decorative juniper is used for single, group and alley plantings:

Juniper on the site
Juniper on the site

Of the numerous decorative forms in summer cottages, the "variegat" form is grown - with whitish tips of the shoots, "fitzeriana" - with spreading, upwardly directed branches and drooping branches. An interesting variegated undersized form - 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.

Siberian juniper 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 virginsky in the photo

Red cedar- monoecious evergreen tree. This juniper looks like a real giant - its height reaches 20 m. Its homeland is North America. Crohn - narrow ovate, needles are long (up to 13 mm) and prickly. Cones ripen in the fall, already in the first year. They are dark blue, with a waxy coating, up to 5 mm in diameter, sweet in taste, contain 1-2 seeds. It grows quickly, especially with sufficient moisture. Less hardy than Siberian and common. 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 Virginia juniper are plants with columnar and pyramidal crowns; with drooping and spreading branches with gray needles, with a rounded spherical crown and bright green needles.

Long-coniferous juniper- tree or shrub. Young shoots are greenish, later brown, round, glabrous. The bark is scaly-scaly, dark gray in color. The needles are pointed, three in whorls, 15-20 mm long, dark green or bluish, tough, prickly, shiny.

In this species of juniper plant, cones are single and in groups, spherical or oval 5-10 mm in diameter, mature - black, with a weak bluish bloom. Seeds are triangular in shape.

This type of juniper is suitable for group and single plantings, for decoration of slopes and rocky places, because it is not picky about soil and moisture. Propagated by seeds.

Known forms with a spherical crown and a compact pyramidal bush.

Juniper undersized- basically it is a shrub up to 1 m in height. Stems are recumbent, rooting. Young shoots are green, glabrous. The bark of branches and trunks is brown, on old ones it is scaly-flaky. This variety of juniper has needles in whorls of three, prickly, tough, up to 1 cm long, gray-green.

Cones are single or in groups, almost spherical, 5-10 mm in diameter, mature - black with a bluish bloom, 2-3 seeds, wrinkled, tetrahedral.

In the design of the garden, it is suitable for single plantings on lawns, ridges, rocky hills, for landscaping slopes. It is undemanding to soils.

Among the natural forms of the undersized species, the most popular are "Glauka" with recumbent branches and bluish-gray needles, as well as the "Rent" form with obliquely upward directed arcuate branches with slightly bluish needles. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering.

Juniper reddish- tree or shrub. Young shoots and needles are green, and later become yellowish in color. The bark is brown-gray, scaly. On top of the needles are two original white stripes. The needles are grooved, prickly and shiny in shape.

The cones are spherical, 10 mm in diameter, when ripe are reddish-brown, shiny, without a bluish bloom.

The species is decorative with yellow needles and reddish cones. It differs from other species in insufficient cold resistance. Propagated by seeds, of which there are 2-3 pieces in a pineapple. They are brownish and slightly triangular.

Juniper high- 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 opposite opposite, 2-5 mm long, pointed, ovate-lanceolate in shape, rarely acicular, gray-green.

Cones are single, 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, therefore it can be used in curbs. Propagated by seeds.

Juniper scaly- slow growing shrub with an oval crown. V young age- the crown is rounded, the twigs are raised, gray-green. The needles are needle-like, prickly, gray-gray, short, dense, collected in whorls. Fruits are 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, spread-out crown.

In our gardens given view juniper most often occurs in the form:

"Blue Star" is a shrub 40-45 cm high and a crown diameter of 50 cm with silvery blue and very thorny needles. It looks good on alpine slides as well as in containers.

It is quite hardy, but often suffers from the spring sun.

Juniper breeding methods and growing conditions (with photo)

The method of reproduction of the juniper is chosen depending on the species - seeds, green cuttings, layering.

The seeds ripen in cones a year or two after flowering. The buds are left hanging on the tree until sowing. Sowing is best done in the fall (November) in the sowing grooves, into which it is imperative to add soil from under an adult juniper plant, meaning the introduction of mycorrhiza into the new soil. If sowing is done in spring, then preliminary stratification of seeds in wet sand is needed, in the first month at a temperature of +20 ... + 30 °, and then for 4 months - at +14 ... + 15 °. Sowing substrate - 1 part of sifted sod land and 1 part of coniferous sawdust.

As shown in the photo, when breeding juniper nice results gives planting with green cuttings in greenhouses, and in summer - in greenhouses:

Reproduction of juniper
Reproduction of juniper

Green cuttings are indispensable for the propagation of garden forms. Cuttings are taken with a "heel" only from young plants.

The substrate - 1 part of peat, 1 part of a juniper needle - is placed on a layer of compost, covered with a layer of sod earth taken from under a juniper plant. Cuttings are sprayed 4-5 times a day. The most suitable date for cutting cuttings is April. For better rooting, cuttings should be treated with a growth stimulant by immersing them for 24 hours in a solution of Epin, Zircon, Root, Kornevin, Kornerost or another drug.

One of the main conditions for growing junipers is compliance with the temperature regime. The optimum air temperature for grafting should be +23 ... + 24 ° at a relative humidity of 80-83%.

After 1-1.5 months, a thickening appears on the cuttings of the juniper - callus. Immediately after that, they are transferred to the ridges, where they hibernate.

Care and cultivation of junipers is easy, since all types of these plants are unpretentious, developing well on the most different soils up to sands and wetlands, however, preference is given to light nutrient substrates.

Most species are photophilous, resistant to drought, sudden temperature fluctuations, and disease and pest attacks.

Given the peculiarities of growing junipers, it is impossible to dig up 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 a juniper in a 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 undoubtedly the secrets of agricultural technology for growing junipers in culture, as evidenced by their frequent loss of decorativeness, and sometimes sudden death.

Planting a seedling on permanent place is fraught with difficulties, since the juniper does not like transplants. A tree for transplanting is dug in a circle and, together with a lump of earth, is transferred to a new place. At the same time, they pursue the goal of minimally injuring root system.

For successful care for a juniper, 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 may be considered appropriate. During the winter, the plant is dormant, and with the beginning of spring it begins to actively root.

These photos show planting and caring for junipers on personal plot:

Juniper on a personal plot

Junipers are worthy wide application in the design of summer cottages. Their decorative forms are especially picturesque. They are not only beautiful, but, emitting phytoncides, like all conifers, heal our habitat.

Each of the most common types of juniper has its own specificity and value.

Low-growing forms of junipers are successfully used as ground cover.

Juniper like a silvery blue carpet

Forms such as Glauka, Blue Star and "Old Gold", are able to create a beautiful silver-blue carpet under trees and tall bushes.

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 hills. They are good in a quiet corner formed by trees, grasses and perennials.

– beautiful plant, which is increasingly used in landscape design. But in order to choose the right type of it, you need to know exactly which group the juniper belongs to. He is a striking representative of the ancient family of cypress, evergreen conifers, which will not cause any problems when growing even for a novice gardener. Juniper appeared on the earth more than 50 million years ago, thanks to which people have long appreciated the beauty of this plant, using it to decorate gardens for more than one millennium.

Did you know? Juniper is used as a flavoring agent for juices, fruit drinks and compotes. Its fruits give the meat an exotic piquant taste and aroma. Marinades prepared with the use of juniper turn out to be especially bright and memorable, and when added to pickles, juniper berries significantly enrich their taste and aroma palette.

Juniper grows in the form of pillar-like trees, spreading shrubs, or fluffy growths that line the ground in a dense carpet. Evergreen juniper branches are decorated with needles in the form of needles or scales. Almost all representatives of juniper are dioecious: male plants- pollinators, and women give a generous harvest of pine berries, from which delicious medicinal fragrant jam is brewed. Today there are about 70 varieties of juniper in the world, so let's look at what types and varieties of juniper are common in our time.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis)

Common juniper is a low evergreen coniferous tree or shrub, 5 to 10 meters high. In the maximum favorable conditions the plant can reach 12 meters, with a trunk diameter of 0.2 meters. The dense crown of trees can have a conical shape, and in shrubs it can be ovoid.

The plant has a gray-brown fibrous bark and red-brown shoots. The branches of the plant are covered with acicular trihedral needles, pointed at the end (its width varies from 0.1 to 0.2 millimeters, and the length can reach 1.5 centimeters). On the upper side of the needles there is an stomatal strip.

All needles are covered with a whitish waxy bloom, which persists on the branches for up to four years. Common juniper bushes bloom in May, and the female flowers are green, and the male flowers are yellow. Bumps have rounded shape and can reach a diameter of 0.6 to 0.9 centimeters. Juniper of this variety grows very slowly. Its annual growth does not exceed more than 15 cm in height and more than 5 cm in width per year. On average, the life span of one bush reaches 200 years.

Did you know? Other names for common juniper are heather or juniper. In Ukraine, the plant is known as "yalivets zvychainy", and in Latin its name sounds "Juniperus communis".

Common juniper can be found in Europe, North America, Siberia and even North Africa. In nature, juniper grows in the undergrowth of spruce and pine forests and forms impenetrable thickets in clearings. It prefers moderately moist, well-drained sandy loam soils, but it can grow on all types of soils.

Juniper virginiana (Juniperus virginiana)

Juniperus virginiana is an evergreen, sometimes dioecious tree. This is a tall juniper, capable of reaching 30 meters in height in favorable conditions. Young trees have a narrow ovate crown, and with age they are covered with wide-standing branches. The diameter of the trunk of adult plants can reach 150 centimeters and is covered with gray, red-brown or dark brown peeling longitudinally fissured bark.

Young slender shoots have a dark green bark and have an indistinct tetrahedral shape. The branches of the plant are covered with gray-green needles, which acquire a brown hue with the onset of frost. During the ripening period, numerous dark blue cones are formed on the trees, with a light bluish bloom up to 0.6 centimeters in diameter. The fruits are ready to be harvested in October, but at the same time they can stay on trees for a long time, which significantly improves their taste characteristics.

The plant received culture status in 1664. Juniper Virginia is very often used in landscape design, as it is one of the most resistant varieties to adverse conditions. In northern latitudes, this species is very often used as an analogue of pyramidal cypresses.

Did you know? Juniper is perfect for aromatherapy, as its scent has a strengthening effect on the nervous system, and long walks through the juniper groves help to get rid of insomnia, nervous tension and headaches.

In nature, Virginia juniper can be found in North America, from Canada to Florida. It grows in the mountains, on rocks, on the shores of the ocean and rivers, less often in swamps.

The most common varieties of juniper virginiana:

1. Juniper variety "Glauka" or "Glauca" was bred in 1855. The plant has a columnar shape and is characterized by an intensive rate of development. On average, it can reach 5 to 10 meters in height and has almost vertical branches. Due to this, the tree forms a fairly dense crown, which expands slightly as the tree matures. The branches of the culture are covered mainly with scaly needles. Needles can be found only in the depths of the crown.
2. Globosa is a low growing juniper obtained in 1891. It is a dwarf, slow-growing variety with a flattened, rounded crown, reaching up to 1 meter in width. The plant has short, creeping skeletal branches and slightly rising, short, protruding and dense shoots covered with scaly bright green needles.
3. "Blue Cloud" was received in 1955. A large shrub with a loose, indeterminate crown, with long, spreading branches covered with grayish-green needles. The Blue Cloud juniper can be seen very often in garden plots in areas with poor weather conditions.

Juniper horizontal (Juniperus horizontalis)

The horizontal juniper is the closest relative of the Cossack juniper. Outwardly, the plant is a creeping shrub pressed to the ground, reaching 1 meter in height and covered with long branches, on which bluish-green tetrahedral shoots are formed, pubescent with dense gray or green needles (with the onset of cold weather, it acquires a brown color). The reproductive branches have needle-shaped elongated-lanceolate leaves, 3 to 5 centimeters long and about 1 centimeter thick, saber-curved and rounded on the back.

Old branches are covered with bluish-black scaly leaves, with a bluish bloom. They have tiny resinous glands reaching up to 2.2 centimeters in length and up to 1.5 millimeters in width. Despite the original appearance, shrubs of this juniper variety are quite rare in the collections of amateur gardeners. The species was classified as a crop back in 1840.

The horizontal juniper was taken as the basis for the creation of many varieties:

1. Variety "Agnieszka" is a low shrub on which long skeletal branches are formed obliquely rising. The needles on the bushes of this juniper can be of two types, but at the same time they are always acicular, protruding and dense, bluish-green, and after the first frosts, they are slightly lilac in color.
2. Bushes of the Andorra Variegata variety, in the early stages, have a dense rounded crown, which, as the plant matures, acquires a funnel-shaped shape. Their branches are covered with needle-shaped, half-pressed, mainly green needles, which in some areas may have a cream color.
3. The Bar Harbor variety was developed in 1930 in the United States. The bushes have a dense creeping shape and are formed by thin recumbent branches spread out in different directions. Lateral shoots are ascending. Small, half-pressed, grayish-green leaves, after frost acquire a purple color.

Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

The Chinese juniper is a dioecious or monoecious tree, reaching a height of 8 to 25 meters and having a pyramidal crown. Very rarely, plants of this species are bushes that are spread out, tightly pressed to the ground. The trunk of the trees is covered with grayish-red flaking bark. Young shoots have a dark green color and a fuzzy tetrahedral shape. The branches of the plant are covered mainly with scaly, pairwise opposite foliage, up to 3 millimeters long and no more than 1 millimeter wide.

The leaves have an oblong-ovoid shape, pointed at the end and slightly curved inward, in connection with which they seem blunt and tightly pressed against the shoots. On the inside, they have stomatal stripes, and on the back - elliptical glands. The plant produces globular, slightly elongated cones, dark blue or almost black in color, reaching a diameter of 4 to 10 millimeters.

Juniper Cossack (Juniperus sabina)

The Cossack juniper is the most unpretentious and most common representative of its family. Therefore, if you are also going to plant this species on your site, then you will probably be interested to know how quickly the Cossack juniper grows. Just imagine: a bush of Cossack juniper, about 10 years old, can reach a height of only 0.3 meters, which makes it one of the slowest growing plants. Due to this feature, it is very often used in landscape design.

The specified type of dwarf juniper is absolutely unpretentious, it easily tolerates both a decrease and an increase in temperature, is indifferent to poor-quality watering and can withstand the strongest winds. Its main drawback is that it belongs to poisonous plants.

The Cossack juniper has a massive root system that can go deep into the ground, so that even in the driest years, its bushes can do without watering at all. The branches of the plant are covered with dense fine needle-like foliage of gray-green color. During the ripening period, they are covered with rounded (up to 7 cm in diameter) dark blue fruits, with a bluish bloom.

Important! Even when caring for Cossack juniper, you must be extremely careful, since its leaves, fruits and branches contain a potent poison that can cause serious harm to human health.

The most popular varieties of Cossack juniper:

1. The variety "Broadmoor" grows intensively in width, while its plants reach no more than 60 centimeters in height. As the variety grows, the bushes form a dense, emerald green carpet that has excellent decorative characteristics.
2. Plants of the "Femina" variety creep along the ground, and their shoots at the ends rise upward, which gives the impression of a huge number of small junipers. In width, the bushes of the variety can reach up to 6 meters, while even in the most favorable conditions, their height does not exceed 2 meters.
3. "Cupressifolia" is a dwarf variety that reaches no more than half a meter in height, but at the same time in width, a plant, at the age of about 10 years, can reach up to 5 meters. Outwardly, the bushes of this variety look quite neat and have high decorative characteristics, which turned them into real favorites of landscape designers.

Coastal juniper (Juniperus conferta)

Coastal juniper - flat growing dwarf shrub with a pleasant pine aroma. The plant has creeping shoots capable of covering the ground with a dense carpet. At the age of nine, plants of this variety reach a height of only 20 centimeters, but their crown size can reach up to one meter. The branches of the bush are covered with dark green needles, decorated with a white and blue stripe on the upper side, which gives it a bluish tint. In autumn, the branches of the coastal juniper are covered with dark blue cones with a bluish bloom.

Important! When planting a juniper, be careful when choosing a planting site. The fact is that this plant is home to many fungal infections and is close proximity to fruit and berry crops can contribute to their infection with dangerous diseases.

The plant loves sunny places, but it grows well in partial shade. Due to its compact size, it is used in landscape design as a ground cover plant for decorating rock gardens and rocky gardens.

Rocky juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)

Rocky juniper is a dioecious shrub or tree 10 to 13 meters high. The cultivated plant has a more compact size than specimens growing in their natural environment. Young shoots have an obscure tetrahedral shape and can reach up to 1.5 millimeters in diameter and no more than 2 centimeters in length.

The bush has dark green or gray-gray scaly foliage, with an opposite arrangement and ovoid-rhombic shape, 1-2 mm long and up to 1 mm wide. The bushes also have needle-shaped leaves up to 12 millimeters long and up to 2 millimeters wide. During the ripening period, globular dark blue berries are formed on the bushes, covered with a light smoky bloom.

Important! Remember that excessive consumption of berries and preparations made on the basis of juniper can cause poisoning, disruption of the cardiovascular system, and also contribute to the occurrence of severe allergic reactions.

Rocky juniper can be called a favorite of landscape designers. It is very often used for landscaping squares, parks, household plots and the territory of medical institutions. The variety looks great in rockeries, rock gardens and heather gardens. The varieties with a pyramidal and columnar crown are especially popular.

Juniper medium (Juniperus media)

The middle juniper is a plant that reaches up to 3 meters in height and has a dense spreading crown up to 5 meters in width. The crown of the tree is formed by ascending arcuate branches with slightly drooping ends. The needles pleases with a rich emerald green color and are decorated with a white stomatal stripe from the inside. Needle-shaped leaves can be found on the old parts of the branches and inside the crown. Scaly needles predominate at the ends of young shoots.

The most common varieties of medium juniper are:

1. Blue and Gold was bred by Dutch breeders in 1984. It is a small shrub with a lush and rather loose crown. The plant can grow up to 1.5 meters in height. The bush is formed by horizontal, obliquely ascending branches with slightly drooping ends. There are two types of needles on the plant: bluish-gray or cream in color. The variety does not tolerate well very coldy, and therefore not suitable for cultivation in the northern regions.
2. "Gold Coast" was received in the United States in 1965. The bushes have a compact, dense shape and can reach up to 1 meter in height and up to 3 meters in width. The bushes of the variety form branches, outstretched with horizontally protruding ends, covered mainly with scaly green needles.
3. Hetzii was also developed in the United States in 1920. The shrub can reach up to 4 meters in height and is characterized by an intensive rate of development. It has a broad-ovoid or loose cupped crown, reaching up to 6 meters in width. main feature varieties in that its branches do not hang at the ends. Shoots are mostly covered with scaly grayish-green needles. Needle-shaped leaves are found only in the middle of the bush.

Scaly Juniper (Juniperus squamata)

Juniper scaly - evergreen, densely branching shrub up to one and a half meters in height. The plant has dark brown bark and lanceolate, tough, sharp dark green needles 0.5 to 0.8 millimeters long. The cones are almost black in color. The plant is used mainly for landscaping park zones and squares, but it can also become the main decoration of any alpine slide. The disadvantage of the variety is that the dried needles on its shoots do not fall off for several years, and this significantly reduces decorative characteristics adult bushes.

The most popular varieties of scaly juniper:

1. The Blue Star variety has fascinated gardeners with its compact size and a semicircular wide crown, which significantly improves its decorative characteristics. Its bushes barely reach one meter in height. The variety is photophilous, but at the same time it grows very slowly, its annual growth does not exceed 10 centimeters. Can be used for single or group landings.
2. "Blue carpet" bush has a flat shape and is distinguished by an intensive rate of development, which allows it to grow to 10 years with an increase of 30 centimeters, overgrowing with a crown from 1.2 to 1.5 meters in width. The branches of the bush are covered with blue-gray, up to 9 millimeters long and no more than 2 millimeters wide, with needles with a sharp edge. The variety was created in 1972 in Holland, and already in 1976 it was awarded a gold medal for high decorative qualities.
3. "Meueri" - this is one of the most famous and favorite varieties of gardeners, which has high decorative characteristics and does not require special care. An adult plant can grow from 2 to 5 meters in height. On the branches, straight, short shoots are formed, covered with bluish-white needles.

Growing almost any juniper will allow you not only to significantly improve the decorative characteristics of the summer cottage, but also to get the strongest medicine that can help get rid of a huge number of diseases.

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Juniper is a beautiful, drought-resistant, photophilous, long-lived plant. More than seventy of its species are known. Many interesting varieties have been bred - the juniper is grown both in middle lane and in cold regions.

Juniper: species and varieties

The most famous are the types and varieties listed below.

Common juniper - this species is highly frost-resistant. He is not picky about the composition of the soil. Ripening of berries takes 2 years.

The middle juniper stands out against the background of other shrubs with its open crown shape. The plant is relatively winter-hardy - it needs shelter only in the first years of life.

Juniper virginiana in height can reach 30 m. The plant prefers a dry steppe climate.

The horizontal juniper is characterized by excellent adaptability - it feels good both in hot and cold climates.

Daurian juniper is extremely unpretentious - it grows equally well both in the southeast of Siberia and in warm regions.

Juniper Cossack is a prostrate or creeping bush. The plant is characterized by excellent winter hardiness. It is not afraid of droughts either.

The Chinese juniper is interesting for its decorative effect - even in nature, plants of the same species differ from each other in external characteristics. This allowed breeders to develop many interesting varieties.

Recumbent juniper is grown as groundcover- a creeping shrub reaches a height of half a meter.

The Siberian juniper prefers mountain landscapes. It grows slowly, but it pleases with its beauty, it is not afraid of frosts and droughts.

The rocky juniper is very decorative - even in natural conditions the plant has a beautiful crown. The color of the needles is also interesting - it has a bluish tint. The plant grows slowly, but it has a long life span.

Scaly juniper attracts attention with its beautiful needles - it is painted in a gray-steel color.

Rocky junipers: varieties

Juniper of this species is represented by the following varieties: Blue Arrow, Globe, Repens, Pathfinder, Skyrocket, Silver King, Wichita.

The Blue Haven Juniper is a slow growing plant. Its maximum height is 2.5 m. The plant has a dense conical crown. The needles are colored light blue. The variety does not have high soil requirements.

Common juniper: varieties

Common juniper is represented by the following varieties: В 2, Columnaris, Сompressa, Echiniformis, Gold beach, Gold Cone, Green Carpet, Нibernica, Нornibrookii, Меуеr, Оblonga pendula, Repanda.

The Green Carpet variety is a low juniper (even at the age of ten, the plant reaches only 10 cm in height). This variety is ideal for lawns - the plants do not need any trimming or special care.

Chinese juniper varieties

This type of plant is represented by the following varieties: Blue Alps, Columnaris, Columnaris glauca, Echiniformis, Expansa, Globosa, Netzii, Mint Julep, Old Gold, Pfitzeriana.

Kurowavo Gold is a variety famous for its beauty. The plant forms a spherical crown. Its maximum height is 2 m. The needles differ in color - the young one has an emerald hue, and the old one is dark green.

Juniper horizontal: varieties

Creeping juniper (horizontal) is represented by the following varieties: Аdpressa, Аlpina, Аndorra compact, Аrgentea, Glacier, Glenmore, Petraea, Prostrata, Wiltonii.

Andorra Compact - this variety is interesting in the shape of the crown (it resembles a fluffy pillow). In winter, the needles change color and turn purple-violet.

Tall junipers: varieties

Tall junipers are represented by different species. Accordingly, you can pick up a lot of varieties with optimal visual characteristics. The most interesting varieties: Skyrocket, Glauka, Gray Oul (Virginian juniper), Hibernika, Columnaris (common juniper).

Fast growing junipers: varieties

Good growth rates are inherent in the following varieties: Blue carpet (scaly juniper), Tamariscifolia and Mas (Cossack juniper), Pfitzeriana Aurea, Mordigan Gold, Pfitzeriana compacta (medium juniper). Virginia juniper is also growing rapidly.

Mordigan Gold is a graceful, compact, frost and drought tolerant variety. The needles have golden hue... The plants reach a height of one meter, the crown diameter does not exceed two meters. This juniper tolerates urban conditions well.

Edible juniper: varieties

Juniper fruits are not eaten like ordinary berries, but they are used in the preparation of tinctures, marmalades, kvass, jelly, jelly, beer. The aroma of the juniper makes the smoked meats especially tasty. Cossack juniper is poisonous. Fruits of other types can be used. The fruits of the Caucasian juniper are most widely used.

Juniper Cossack: varieties

Cossack juniper is represented by the varieties Аrcaida, Blue danube, Вuffalo, Сupressifolia, Еrecta, Fastigiata, Mas, Rockery Gem, Tamariscifolia.

Variegata is a variety that has bright variegated needles (it is painted in a green-white or yellowish tint). This juniper grows slowly and forms a creeping crown. Highest height- 1 m. The plant is quite demanding on the composition of the soil. It does not tolerate frost and drought well.

Juniper: varieties for the Moscow region

Many types of juniper are grown in the Moscow region and central Russia. Most widespread find common junipers, horizontal, rocky, Cossack.

Plants of the Skyrocket variety look very beautiful. They have a columnar shape. Scaly or needle-like needles are colored blue-gray. Plant height reaches 6-8 m. Unlike many other types of juniper, this variety grows very quickly - the annual growth is about 20 cm.

Juniper varieties for Siberia

Many junipers are characterized by good frost resistance, which allows them to be grown in harsh climatic conditions. The most widespread in Siberia and the Urals are Siberian junipers, Cossack, hard, Chinese, Virginia, ordinary, scaly.

The Blue Alps variety (Chinese juniper) has excellent recommendations. The plant tolerates frost well, has a compact shape. Its average height is 2.5-4 m. The needle-shaped needles are colored silver from below, from above they are light green.

Juniper varieties are diverse. Plants are actively used for landscaping areas - they are very decorative, therefore they are in great demand.

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Hello, my name is Valeria, I am engaged in landscape design. One of my favorite plants is juniper. This plant is very flexible, it is easy to shape it, and the variety of species and varieties allows you to find a texture for any garden. Today I will tell you exactly about the species and varieties of this plant.

This plant can be either a graceful bush or a spreading tree. The most popular varieties can be divided into several categories:

• Frost-resistant species;
• Cossack junipers;
• Chinese junipers;
• Horizontal;
• Scaly.

Frost-resistant junipers

There are several categories here too. I'll tell you about the most common ones.

Common junipers

It can be both trees and shrubs. Their shape can be varied, the height is within 12 meters. The needles are lanceolate and narrow, up to 14 mm long. Cones are black, have a bluish bloom. They are resistant to both bad ecology and any frost. It grows even on the poorest soils. About a hundred varieties are known, but the most popular are:

1. Suecica. Shrubs with a maximum height of 4 meters. Bushes are dense, columnar. Shoots are vertical, needles are light. Grows best in areas with good lighting;
2. Green Carpet. The shrubs are low, reaching only half a meter in height and one and a half in width. Often used as ground cover plants. Suitable for rocky gardens and slopes. The needles are small and soft;
3. Hibernika. Columnar tree, height up to three and a half meters. Suitable for all soils. It is best to tie the trees before winter, otherwise they may break under the snow. Do not forget to shelter from the sun in the spring;
4. Gold Cone. A tree reaching a height of about 4 meters. It has a conical shape. The crown can reach a meter in width. The peculiarity is that its shoots can change their color throughout the year. Differs in frost resistance and survival rate on any soil. The only thing that he does not tolerate is too wet soil. In addition, it is best planted in well-lit areas.

Rock junipers

They are also frost-resistant. They can grow up to 10 meters in height. Suitable for hedges and coniferous compositions. Ideal for hot areas, tolerates any adverse factors well. The most popular are two varieties:

• Blue Arrow. These are trees up to 5 meters high. Tough shoots, needles blue not prickly. Differs in unpretentiousness and resistance to frost. Loves light and drained soil;
• Skyrocket. It has the shape of a column, the crown is dense. Height up to 8 meters, crown has a width of about a meter. Loves soils where water does not stagnate, and loamy. Also loves light. It is resistant to frost, drought and wind, but it is better to tie its branches before winter.

Virginia

This is the most unpretentious of the frost-resistant junipers. Resistant to decay, grows on mountain slopes and on river banks. It tolerates frosts, droughts, and even shade. The most popular are the following varieties:

• Blue Cloud. Quite a miniature shrub. The needles are small and gray, the branches are long;
• Glauca. Column-shaped, height up to 5 meters. The needles are silvery, the branches are thick;
• Ganaertii. Quite tall tree with dark needles;
• Burkii. It grows quickly, reaches 6 meters, the needles are not prickly, they have a delicate greenish-blue color;
• Pendula. One of the highest representatives. Can reach 15 meters. The tree is spreading, the needles are bluish in color;
• Gray Owl. Low (up to one and a half meters) shrub with a wide crown and hanging branches. The needles are gray-silver. Normal to pruning;
• Hetz. It grows equally quickly both in height and in width. Suitable for large parks and gardens.

Medium junipers

They are also hardy and come in a wide variety of colors and shapes. The most popular are:

• Low and spreading Pfitzeriana Aurea;
• Gold Star with golden scales. It grows in width more actively than in length;
• Hetzii. The needles are gray-blue;
• Old Gold. It is known for its golden color of needles. It grows slowly, has a miniature size;
• Gold coast. It grows in width more actively than in height;

• Mint julep. Differs in the bright color of the needles and the curved shape of the branches.

Cossack

They also differ in winter hardiness. Usually spread along the ground. Suitable for strengthening slopes. They are not very demanding on soils, they tolerate droughts normally, but they like light. They grow in European forests and Asia. There are many varieties and they are very different in appearance and size.

• Tamariscifolia. The height is only half a meter, it actively grows in width. The needles change color with different amounts of light;
• Glauca. Also low and with a wide cushion-shaped crown.
• Arcadia. Low bushes that grow up to 2.5 meters wide and cover a large area. With age, it becomes like a carpet. The needles are soft, soft green.

Chinese

They grow throughout Asia. Suitable for creating bonsai and small areas. They grow slowly, but sometimes they reach 20 meters. Ideal for moist and fertile soils, but quite tolerant to droughts.

• Variegata. Pyramidal with a fairly wide crown.
  Loves well-drained and moist soil, it is better to hide it from the sun in early spring;
• Kuriwao Gold. The peculiarity is that the needles turn pale in the shade, so plant it in the sun. Good for rocky gardens and gardens with different types of conifers;
• Blue Alps. He has a dense crown and shoots hanging along the edges. It can reach 2 meters both in height and in width. Suitable for any soil, but it needs more light;
• Blaauw. He has asymmetrical shoots. The width and height are the same - about one and a half meters. Light partial shade is comfortable for them. But the soil needs nutritious, the reaction is either neutral or slightly alkaline.

Horizontal

Originally from North America. Used as a ground cover plant.

• Limeglow. Miniature creeping shrub: about 0.4 meters high and one and a half meters wide. The needles are bright yellow with golden. It can be used in a variety of gardens as an accent, but it does not tolerate heavy soils, moreover, it loves bright light on the site.
• Blue Forest is the smallest - about 30 cm high and one and a half meters wide. The crown is creeping, but the shoots are vertical, so it looks like a tiny forest. The color is blue, most expressive in the month of July;
• Blue Chip. A beautiful creeping bush. Shoots are horizontal and spread out in different directions. They have slightly raised ends. The color is silvery blue, but turns into lilac in winter. Outwardly resembles a carpet;
• Andorra Variegata. Also a dwarf variety. The needles are bright green, but there are also lighter blotches. In winter, it turns purple-purple.

Scaly

They are not too demanding either on the soil or on the air. Originally from the Eastern Himalayas and China.

Here are the most popular of their varieties.

• Meyeri. The height of the shrub is about a meter. Shoots are located obliquely, their ends hang down. The needles are dense, needle-like and rather short. Its color is silvery blue. If you regularly trim this shrub, you get a beautiful, dense and delicate shape.
• Blue Star. It is a dwarf shrub and it grows rather slowly. Its height is up to a meter, width - up to 150 cm. It is best to plant on rocky hills, slopes and curbs.
• Blue Carpet. Refers to fast-growing shrubs. The needles are rather prickly and have a silvery-blue hue. The cones are dark blue and waxy. It is best to strengthen the slopes and slopes with it.

Any corner of the garden or summer cottage can be decorated with unpretentious and beautiful junipers. In modern landscape design, they have become popular and loved due to their various shapes, colors, plasticity and unpretentiousness. Any design idea easily realized with the help of these conifers, which cut beautifully. On your site, you can plant a lush bush or a spreading tree, creeping ivy or a columnar monolith. More than 70 species include the genus of junipers. In this article we will tell you about the most popular and low-maintenance species and varieties.

Frost-resistant types of junipers

These types of junipers are most often have large areas... These can be large shrubs growing in light coniferous forests, or small trees found in the undergrowth of deciduous forests.

Common juniper: photos and varieties

A tree or shrub up to 12 meters in height can have a variety of shapes. Differs in reddish-brown shoots and flaky bark. Shiny, prickly and narrow lanceolate needles are 14-16 mm long. Blue-black cones with a bluish bloom in diameter reach 5-9 mm. Ripen in the second or third year.

Resistant to frost and urban air pollution common juniper can grow on poor sandy loam... The shrub has about one hundred varieties, which differ in their height, color of needles, shape and diameter of the crown. The most popular varieties are:

A pyramidal tree native to North America in height can reach up to 10 m... Due to their resistance to adverse factors, rocky junipers are in great demand in areas with hot climates. With their help, they create high hedges and various coniferous compositions... The most unpretentious and two varieties are known:

Red cedar

This coniferous plant can rightfully be considered the most unpretentious and resistant among all types of junipers. In nature he grows along river banks and on the windswept slopes of the mountains. Virginia juniper wood is resistant to decay. In this regard, it is used to make pencils, and the plant itself is called the "pencil tree". It is drought tolerant, frost tolerant and tolerates partial shade.

Varieties of this type of juniper are easily propagated by grafting, cuttings and seeds. The tree ripens annually a large number of cones from which seeds can be obtained. After stratification, the seeds are sown in the ground and are an excellent planting material for hedges. Most often used for decoration of gardens and parks seven varieties of juniper virginiana:

1. Gray Owl is a shrub with silver-gray needles and gracefully drooping branches. It grows up to one and a half meters. The width of its crown reaches two meters. Additional decorativeness to the shrub is given by a large number of cones. It tolerates pruning, loves sunny areas, hardy.
2. The Hetz variety is a plant with bluish needles, growing up to 2 meters. It can be 2-3 meters wide. Only suitable for large gardens as it grows rapidly in width and height. Resistant to almost all weather conditions.
3. The Pendula cultivar is a spreading tree up to 15 m high. Its weeping branches are covered with green needles with a bluish tint.
4. The Burkii variety is a fast-growing, pyramidal shrub, the height of which reaches 5-6 m. At the age of ten years, with a crown diameter of 1.5 m, it has a height of 3 m. It grows with thornless needles of a green-blue hue.
5. The Ganaertii variety is an oval-columnar dense tree growing up to 5-7 m. The branches are covered with dark green needles. In autumn, a countless number of bluish-blue cones form on junipers.
6. The Glauca cultivar is a columnar tree up to 5 m high. It branches densely and is distinguished by a silvery color of needles.
7. The Blue Cloud cultivar is a dwarf form of the Virginia juniper. It has a height of 0.4-0.5 m, a crown width of up to 1.5 m. Long branches are covered with small gray needles with a blue tint.

Medium junipers: varieties

Shrubs with a wide variety of colors and habits, characterized by good resistance to unfavorable growing conditions. The most popular varieties:

Chinese junipers: photos and varieties

Slow growing pyramidal trees growing in China, Japan, Korea and Primorsky Krai. Their height can reach up to 20 m, so bonsai are often formed from them. They love moist, fertile enough soils. Drought tolerant.

Some varieties of Chinese juniper are spreading bushes and are suitable for decorating small areas:

Junipers Cossack

Most often it is winter-hardy, creeping shrubs that grow naturally in many regions of Asia and in the forests of Europe. They are often used to strengthen slopes, since they are not very soil-demanding, light-requiring and drought-resistant. Their varieties differ in color of needles, habit and size:

Juniper horizontal

North American plant species that can be used to decorate retaining walls and as a ground cover plant... The most popular varieties:

1. The Limeglow variety is a plant that grows in height up to only 0.4 m in width and grows up to one and a half meters. Its branches are strewn with beautiful, bright golden yellow needles, which allows the shrub to be used as an accent for any garden arrangement. Grows poorly on heavy soils and prefers well-lit areas.
2. The Blue Forest variety is a dwarf shrub 0.3 m high and 1.5 m wide. Young shoots grow vertically upward on its creeping crown, giving the impression of a blue miniature forest. The color of the juniper is especially bright and original in the middle of summer.
3. Blue Chip is one of the most beautiful creeping junipers. A bush with horizontal shoots spreading in different directions with slightly raised ends looks like a silvery-blue thick carpet. In winter, the needles change color and become lilac.
4. The Andorra Variegata variety is a dwarf shrub with a height of 0.4 m. The cushion-shaped crown grows up to one and a half meters. Juniper is distinguished by bright green needles with cream interspersed summer time of the year, and needles of a purple-violet hue in winter.

A drought-resistant and undemanding plant for soil fertility, grows naturally in China and on the slopes of the Eastern Himalayas... In landscape design, wide-spreading varieties with silvery needles are used:

Nothing cleans and freshens the air in your garden like the junipers planted in it. They will give their shape and color to the garden comfort, beauty and originality... You can plant a huge tree, a tiny shrub, or make a composition out of them. Any of the varieties and types of juniper will easily fit into landscape design a small summer cottage or a large garden.

Juniper and its varieties and types