Juniper occupies a special place among evergreens. Its popularity is due not only to its stately beauty, but also to its beneficial properties. There are a great many species and varieties of this ephedra, which allows you to choose a shrub for growing that has exactly the qualities that a florist needs.

General description and characteristics of the culture

Junipers belong to the Cypress family. Despite their common name, they are all very different. Not everyone knows what a juniper looks like and where it grows. These plants can exist as a tree or shrub. Juniper leaves are needles, so all of its subspecies are evergreen. There are creeping and dwarf forms. The benefits of junipers include:

  • excellent frost resistance;
  • high resistance to adverse factors;
  • beautiful texture and color of needles;
  • unpretentious care.

Juniper

Thanks to these qualities, the plant is among the top three conifers used for landscaping gardens, along with spruces and pines. We can say that junipers occupy a leading position due to the variety of their forms. About 20 species of this ephedra are used in garden design today. They are planted in the Moscow region, Leningrad, Vologda regions, and even in Siberia and the Urals. Most often, species such as virgin, ordinary, Cossack, rocky, medium are grown.

These plants became cultivated in ancient times, and in the wild they are ubiquitous. Where does juniper grow today? It can be found in temperate latitudes, mild tropical climates. Some species grow in the polar zone and subtropics. Most junipers prefer to grow on mountain slopes and among rocks, but there are also varieties that make up the lower tier of forests, successfully coexisting with other conifers.

Juniper on the slope

If we talk about juniper from the point of view of science, the description of the plant can confuse the average person. Botanical classification is not used when decorating a garden. Landscapers prefer to classify this plant based on its growth shape and size. Junipers are also subdivided into subspecies depending on the color of the needles. The most common deep dark green color, but there are also light and almost black shades. Modern decorative forms present golden and bluish variations.

Appearance, methods of reproduction, soil requirements

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It is impossible to say unequivocally what a juniper looks like. Shrub forms can grow up to 3 m, and those growing in the form of a tree have a height of 10-12 m and more. Male specimens of the plant are characterized by a columnar dense crown. In women, it is spreading, oval in shape.

Juniper needles on young bushes are always green, sharp, needle-like. In adult specimens, it can be either needle-like or scaly.

Flowering juniper

The flowering culture begins in May. Male flowers have an elongated or spherical cone shape and a yellow color. Female flowers are greenish, gathered in groups, after fertilization they become like brown dense balls. In the next season, the fertilized cones are filled with juice and take the form of a berry.By autumn, their color becomes red-brown or deep blue.

You can see what roots the juniper has when buying and transplanting it. The root system of most shrub species is fibrous, superficial. It is located in the top layer of the soil, so the culture grows even on poor rocky soil.

Note! The tree-like juniper has a powerful taproot that goes deep, so such junipers do not tolerate transplanting and may die, because damage to the root system is inevitable during the procedure.

Plants propagate by cuttings, layering and seeds:

  • Reproduction of a juniper using seeds is the easiest but longest way. Seed material of some varieties can be in the ground, not germinating up to 4 years, and fruiting will be delayed until 10 years of age.
  • Cuttings are best done in spring. For this, the shoots are cut in early February. The emergence of roots will have to wait a month or longer. The tops of shoots 25 cm long, cut with a sharp knife, are used as material. Juniper is rooted in a mixture of humus and peat.
  • It is permissible to propagate by layering only creeping species. The method can be used during the entire growing season. Several horizontal branches are pinned to the ground and lightly sprinkled with peat. The formation of the root system of juniper on the layers occurs within 6-12 months. It is possible to separate a young bush from the mother plant only when it is sufficiently developed and has vertical shoots.

Propagation by cuttings

In nature, juniper is able to grow even on poor soils, but for good crop growth, it is better to additionally fertilize the soil. It is necessary to take into account the species preferences of the ephedra. For example, Virginia juniper grows better on loam, and Cossack juniper needs lime soil.

Useful properties of the plant

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Besides the fact that the juniper is very decorative, it benefits people with its medicinal properties. Its ability to heal the body was discovered in ancient Rome. Now the plant is used not only in folk medicine, but also in official pharmacology. Even a simple walk in a juniper grove will benefit your health.

What is a juniper in terms of its pharmacological properties? It is a storehouse of valuable vitamins, minerals, organic acids and more. Fruits, bark, needles, plant essential oil are used. The antiseptic properties of juniper make it possible to use it externally for various skin diseases, ulcers, burns and wounds. The broth is used to treat pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma bronchitis. Coniferous baths soothe the nervous system, relieve stress and insomnia.

Application in medicine

Due to its diuretic and antimicrobial properties, the plant helps in the treatment of cystitis, urolithiasis, and kidney inflammation. Juniper normalizes blood pressure, therefore it is used for hypertension, prevents the development of atherosclerosis. Its preparations alleviate the condition during exacerbation of rheumatism, improve metabolism and digestion, increase libido.

Important!Inside, they take mainly decoctions from juniper cones, the fruits can be eaten fresh. The needles are used mainly for external use. Juniper essential oil is used not only in medicine, but also in cosmetology.

About diseases and pests

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Rust is a dangerous disease for junipers. It manifests itself as orange growths. The disease is caused by a specific fungus, develops over several years and can lead to the death of the plant. When symptoms appear, the ball branches should be cut out, after which the juniper bush should be sprayed with a fungicide.

Note! Cossack and Virginian species are especially susceptible to rust.

Another common ephedra disease is tracheomycosis.Infection often occurs through the root system and occurs with constant waterlogging of the soil. The mycelium gradually penetrates into the vessels of the wood and clogs them, which causes the death of the shrub. If the branches suddenly begin to dry, the soil is spilled with a fungicide solution. You can use phytosporin, quadris, maxim. To prevent the disease, the roots of the seedling are soaked in one of these preparations before planting.

Shrinking branches can be caused by other pathogenic fungi. Too dense soil and thickened plantings contribute to the onset of the disease. It is necessary to initially observe the plant's agricultural technology - plant it in drained soil and maintain the interval between the bushes. Biorellic branch cancer, nectriosis, schütte are also caused by pathogenic fungi and are treated with the use of fungicides.

Tracheomycosis

Of the pests, the plant is attacked by a juniper scale insect, aphid, a sawfly, a needle mite, a miner moth. To combat insects, karbofos, fitoverm, decis, benzophosphate and other insecticides are used. Processing is carried out several times according to the instructions for the preparation.

Interesting facts about juniper

This evergreen plant belongs to centenarians. Not everyone knows how long the juniper lives, but meanwhile, facts are known that individual specimens of the ephedra existed for up to 600 years. The plant is considered a champion in the release of phytoncides and perfectly cleans the air nearby, making it almost sterile.

An unusually healthy tea can be made from juniper berries. For this, 1 tbsp. knead a spoonful of fruits, pour 1 tbsp. boiling water and let it brew. This drink is drunk in half a glass hot after a meal.

Juniper berry tea

You can make a syrup from dried pine berries by first boiling them in water until soft, and then rubbing, filtering and adding sugar. Take this remedy for 1 teaspoon three times a day with vitamin deficiency, significant physical exertion, during the recovery period after illness.

Over the centuries, people have learned to use this plant for their own benefit, while enjoying its laconic, austere beauty. Juniper can decorate any garden or summer cottage. It is only important to create conditions for him to grow fully and find suitable neighbors.