Juniper: how to choose and plant a shrub in the spring?

We imagine juniper as a small coniferous shrub, which is often used in landscape compositions. But few people know that it can even grow into a giant tree. Today we will get acquainted with unusual species and remember the traditional representatives of the juniper genus.

Junipers (Juniperus) are among the oldest inhabitants of the planet - these evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs appeared almost 50 million years ago. Today, about 70 species are known, including creeping shrubs up to 10-15 cm in height, and giants up to 30 m in height. Most of them come from Asia, North America and Europe, where they are found not only in gardens and parks, but also in the wild nature.

The needles of mature plants are usually in the form of flattened scales, while in young specimens they are most often needle-shaped. Almost all types of juniper are drought-resistant and unpretentious to the composition of the soil, which makes it possible to grow them in regions with arid climates.

It should be borne in mind that the resinous juice of junipers is very flammable. Therefore, they are not recommended to be planted in areas with dense residential buildings where there is a danger of forest fires.

What are the benefits of juniper?

Juniper cones and their oil are used to prepare medicinal extracts in folk and official medicine. Indigenous people of North America used juniper extract to treat tuberculosis, intestinal infections, excess gas, and even serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Topically, juniper was used to heal wounds, for snake bites, and for muscle and joint pain.

Due to the content of volatile substances that have a bactericidal effect, juniper essential oil is used in the treatment of respiratory diseases (for example, bronchitis), as well as to combat viruses and bacteria in the air.

In addition to the medical field, juniper fruits are used in cooking: to flavor baked goods and drinks, and also as a seasoning for meat dishes and marinades.

In industry, juniper oil is used to flavor soaps, shampoos and bath products, added to cosmetics and perfumes, and used as one of the components in the creation of massage and essential oils.

Today we are getting acquainted with some little-known species of juniper, and also recall popular varieties that have long taken a place in Russian gardens.

Procurement of raw materials

The berries are harvested in the fall, in September - October. You should spread a cloth under the bush and shake ripe berries onto it. You need to dry the raw materials in the shade, in the air. You can use attics, sheds and other ventilated spaces.

It is better to spread the raw materials in a thin layer for better drying. Periodically, the berries should be tossed until completely dry. Juniper cannot be dried in ovens, as essential oils evaporate and the quality of the raw material deteriorates. Well-dried fruits can be stored for up to three years.

Alligator juniper (Juniperus deppeana)

This unique juniper species is native to the southwestern United States and central and northern Mexico. It can be either a shrub or a tree, depending on the location and growing conditions.

The plant got its name due to the structural features of the bark: a pattern consisting of square-shaped plates separated by grooves, reminiscent of alligator skin. The wood of this juniper is strong and hard as rock, and the foliage has an intense bluish-green color.

Representatives of the species are resistant to heat and are able to grow well on dry, rocky soils, because in the wild they grow in slightly acidic magmatic soil and alkaline limestone.

Alligator juniper bark

Conditions in high mountain areas are suitable for alligator juniper, since its wild representatives thrive on mountain slopes.

Trees of this species grow very slowly: according to dendrochronology, the diameter of the trunk increases by only 1.5-2 cm in 10 years, and after reaching the age of 170 years, the growth rate slows down even more. But at the same time, such trees live up to 500 years!

One of the most common cultivated varieties of this species, juniper McFetter, is used in landscape work to create hedges.

How to grow?

Landing

The common spruce can grow even on soils that are relatively poor in organic matter, on clay and sand. The Christmas tree has an indifferent attitude towards light; it can even be planted on a shaded slope. But there is another danger - in poor environmental conditions, Christmas trees suffer greatly. Standard spruce agricultural technology involves the use of light drainage. Creating a drainage layer of brick, crushed stone, expanded clay, and so on is impractical.

When a year has passed, it is transplanted into separate pots. Already in these pots the use of heavy drainage is encouraged. Initially, it is recommended to plant plants in pine needle drainage. The sowing scheme for ordinary spruce trees is quite simple.

The depth of the excavations is 0.5-0.7 m. If the ground is very dense, heavy drainage cannot be avoided. The best option is a mixture of crushed stone or broken brick with sand 0.15-0.2 m thick. The seedling should be placed in the hole carefully, but deviations from the vertical should be avoided. It is necessary to fill the root of the planted tree, but it should not be compacted.

It is recommended to additionally mulch the surrounding area of ​​the root with a thin layer of peat. This layer is 0.05-0.07 m and should be created in the first two years after planting. Experts advise adding nitroammophoska to the soil mixture when planting.

Watering

Additional irrigation of spruce will be required when there is no rain for a long time. During hot periods it is mandatory. Checking whether it is time to water the Christmas tree is simple: you need to squeeze a lump of earth in your hand and see if it crumbles. Water should be poured strictly around the root ball within a radius of 0.2-0.3 m from the trunk. Each tree should have 10-12 liters of water.

Top dressing

It is prohibited to feed common spruce with manure. It is much more correct to use mineral mixtures. Among them, however, those that contain a significant amount of nitrogen are unsuitable. Because of this, the growth of shoots before the onset of cold weather makes it impossible to prepare for winter.

If you don’t want to cook it yourself, you need to use vermicompost, which is sold in any specialized store.

Among other mixtures, it is worth paying attention to formulations containing an easily digestible form of calcium.

Pruning

To trim a common spruce, you need to use pruning shears or a garden file.

Particular attention should be paid to sanitary processing of sections after performing this procedure. As the tree grows, it is pruned more and more frequently.

Plants up to 3-4 years old are pinched instead of pruning. It is recommended to perform pruning in the last third of summer. Sometimes it is carried out in the fall, if there is a firm belief that the incisions will heal before the arrival of cold weather.

You can turn a cone into a ball by trimming the apical shoots. Removing upward growing shoots will help prevent drying out of the lower shoots. At a young age, spruce is treated with garden shears. Mature plants are trimmed with a hedge trimmer.

A conversation about caring for an ordinary spruce cannot ignore the answer to the question of what to do if a tree on a trunk burns in the sun. Helping ornamental crops is especially important in early spring. Spraying the branches with a spray bottle will help you cope with the problem. For better results, water the ground under the trees with clean water or weak mineral solutions. Sometimes Christmas trees are covered up to half the height with lutrasil (leaving it open at the bottom) or burlap.

California juniper (Juniperus californica)

This species of juniper, native to North America, is also known as desert white cedar. Representatives of the species are found in different areas of California - from the Colorado Desert to Joshua Tree National Park, as well as in some areas of Arizona and Nevada.

California juniper typically grows as a large, conical shrub, although in the wild it is sometimes a medium-sized tree. It has scaly blue-gray leaves and small bluish-brown cones that appear in the fall and winter. In nature, this species lives from 50 to 150 years and has a growth rate of 30 to 60 cm per year.

In landscape design, California juniper is often used to create wildlife habitats. Due to its drought resistance and ability to grow on rocky soil, it is also used to control soil erosion on dry slopes. The acidity of the soil for plants of this type can be any.

About diseases and pests

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A dangerous disease for junipers is rust. It appears 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.

For your information! Cossack and Virginia species are especially susceptible to rust.

Another common conifer disease is tracheomycosis. Infection most often occurs through the root system and occurs when the soil is constantly waterlogged. The mycelium gradually penetrates the wood vessels and clogs them, causing the death of the bush. If the branches suddenly begin to dry, the soil is spilled with a fungicide solution. You can use phytosporin, quadris, maxim. To prevent disease, before planting, the roots of the seedling are soaked in one of these preparations.

Drying of branches can also be caused by other pathogenic fungi. The occurrence of the disease is promoted by too dense soil and thickened plantings. You must initially follow the plant's agricultural practices - plant it in well-drained soil and maintain an interval between bushes. Biatorella branch cancer, nectriosis, and schutte are also caused by pathogenic fungi and are treated with the use of fungicides.

Tracheomycosis

Among the pests that attack the plant are juniper scale insects, aphids, sawflies, needle mites, and leafmining moths. To combat insects, karbofos, fitoverm, decis, benzophosphate and other insecticides are used. Treatment is carried out several times according to the instructions for the drug.

Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

This juniper is native to China, Japan, and North Korea. The plant has a variety of sizes and shapes - it can be small, medium and large shrubs and trees. The minimum height of a Chinese juniper bush is about 90 cm, the maximum is up to 2.5 m. Trees of this species reach a height of 3 to 15 m. Depending on the variety, the crown can have a columnar, pyramidal or creeping shape.

Chinese juniper has a ribbed bark and two types of needles: on young annual shoots the needles are flat and short (3 mm), on adult branches they are more rigid, subulate, up to 12 mm long.

For health and full development, Chinese juniper needs at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Like other species, the plant is drought-resistant and does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil. Tolerates urban gas pollution conditions well.

A variety of Chinese juniper called Toruloso is known as the "Hollywood juniper" - as it grows it forms an original and photogenic twisted shape.

In ornamental gardening, the popular varieties are Spartan, Kuriwao Gold, and Variegata.

Landing

In order for juniper to grow strong and strong, it is necessary to plant it in the ground correctly, thereby ensuring the plant a long and carefree life. Even the most dedicated gardeners can make mistakes, so the recommendations in this article will help keep these mistakes to a minimum.

First of all, it should be clarified that this plant does not like frequent transplants, so the best solution would be to plant it immediately in open ground in a permanent place. But in order to do this, you need to choose the right area for planting. It must meet the following requirements:

• the area should be in partial shade, but in such a way that the sun also has access to it;
• there should be no other plants or buildings within a radius of two meters from the juniper, since this culture loves space;
• the soil must have neutral acidity, and if the soil does not meet this requirement, it must be mixed with sand and peat;
• groundwater should not lie in close proximity to the roots of the plant, otherwise it will need to be planted on a low hill.

Another important point is the choice of seedling. If you are going to plant Chinese juniper sprouts that you did not grow yourself, you need to take some details into account.

You should also carefully inspect the seedling before purchasing in order to prevent the possibility of damage to the plant in advance. If you see cracks or dark spots on it, as well as dried twigs, it is better to choose another planting material.

Once you have decided on the planting site and the choice of seedling, you can begin planting the plant in open ground.

Here you will need extreme caution, since the young seedling is quite fragile, it is easy to break or simply damage, so you need to do all the steps very carefully

The algorithm for planting juniper is as follows:

1. First you need to prepare a planting hole, the size of which depends on the size of the root system of the seedling. Often, experienced gardeners will dig a hole twice the size of the juniper roots. On average, the most optimal size is 50 centimeters in diameter and depth.
2. If you are planting several shrubs at once, you should dig holes at a distance of at least a meter (preferably two) from each other.
3. The bottom of the planting hole should be covered with drainage material. This can be sand, bricks, or any other suitable materials. The drainage layer should be about fifteen centimeters.
4. Fill the drainage with a mixture of soil, peat and sand on top, and then plant a young plant on it so that the root collar rises at least five centimeters above the edges of the hole.
5. Now you can sprinkle the seedling with the remaining mixture of soil, sand and peat, after which you need to press the soil a little with your palm.
6. Water the juniper planted in the ground with plenty of water (at least two buckets), then cover it with a fabric that allows air to pass through well to protect it from direct sunlight. The fabric can be removed after two days, when the plant has taken root.

As for planting time, it is better to do it in the fall. If you bought a seedling with an open root system, it is better to plant it in the spring, preferably in April.

Caring for Chinese juniper stricta Variegata after planting is an equally important process on which the appearance of the plant and its condition depend. Care consists of several factors: watering, pruning, fertilizing, protection from pests and weather conditions.

Juniper is a moisture-loving plant, so it requires abundant watering. To ensure this, it is necessary to pour about twenty liters of water onto each plant. The frequency of watering depends on the season. So, with active growth and rooting, the shrub needs to be watered a little more often than an already mature plant. On average, abundant watering should be carried out at least five times per season, and one should not forget about moistening the crown. To do this, you can purchase automatic sprayers.

As for pruning, it should be done as needed. Be sure to trim dry and damaged branches, but giving the shrub its shape is at the discretion of the gardener. The plant tolerates pruning well, you don’t have to worry about it.

You should not cover juniper for the winter; it is quite frost-resistant. But if the winters are very harsh and the temperature drops below twenty degrees below zero, the branches of the plant are carefully tied to the trunk, and the bush itself is covered with a thick film.

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By following the recommendations of our article, every gardener can easily grow beautiful juniper shrubs on their site.

Common juniper (Juniperus communis)

This is one of the most common junipers in the world, which is also known as “Siberian” and “dwarf”. It is found in many countries of the world - in particular, in North America, Europe, Northern Asia, and Japan.

Common juniper can take a wide variety of forms depending on growing conditions - from low creeping and drooping shrubs used as ground cover to upright pyramidal trees. This species easily takes root in any soil, grows well in direct sun and shade, is resistant to heat and cold, and is not afraid of drafts. But a sunny location with well-drained or sandy soil is ideal.

This juniper is one of the few that has needle-like rather than scaly needles - it has hard and long pointed needles with a glossy lower surface and a bluish-green upper part. Common juniper flowers are divided into male and female - the former are yellow, the latter are yellowish-green. The plant blooms from May to June.

The age of some representatives of this species reaches 400 years. The aromatic wood of the common juniper is used to make utensils, and its fruits are used to make seasonings and medicines.

Among the cultivated varieties of common juniper, gardeners often choose Horstmann, Arnold, and Repanda.

Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)

Other names for this species are creeping juniper, spreading juniper or Savina juniper. It is found naturally in the northern United States, Canada and Alaska, and wild varieties can reach 4 m in height. But cultivated varieties of this plant rarely grow above 50-100 cm, while they can grow up to 2-3 m in width.

Most varieties of creeping juniper give an annual growth of 3 to 10 cm. Due to the ability to quickly fill space, this juniper is used in ornamental gardening as a ground cover plant. It is often planted along terraces, verandas and gazebos - this allows you to enjoy not only the appearance of bluish, green or golden needles, but also the pleasant aroma of the plant.

On young shoots the needles are hard and needle-shaped; on mature bushes they become soft, scaly. The cone berries are bluish-black in color. The root system of the plant is superficial, tightly penetrating the top layer of soil, so weeds cannot break through under it.

Creeping juniper is undemanding to the composition of the soil; it can grow in the sun and in the shade, but prefers well-lit places. Plants of this species are winter-hardy; formative pruning skills will be useful in caring for them.

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Among the varieties recommended for cultivation are Limeglow, Blue Chip, Wiltonii, Icee Blue.

How to grow juniper in the country: agricultural technology for planting and caring in open ground (with photo)

To plant and successfully care for juniper, you need to take care of loose, slightly acidic loamy soils; sandy loam soils are also quite suitable. Dwarf varieties should not be grown in overly rich soils - they may lose their typical crown shape.

When caring for junipers, adult specimens do not require feeding. Young plants can be fed in the spring after the snow melts on wet soil with complex or combined mineral fertilizer in a reduced concentration. Fresh manure and feces are strictly excluded.

These photos show the agricultural technology of planting and caring for junipers:

Junipers are replanted either in the spring before buds open, or in the fall. Deepening the root collar is possible, but undesirable. Young plants and varietal garden forms tolerate replanting easily, but taken from nature - extremely poorly. Large specimens can be replanted only after preliminary preparation of the root ball.

In order to care for junipers as proper agricultural technology suggests, you need to ensure the absence of stagnant and groundwater.

Frost resistance of species varies. Adult 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, a “hut” is arranged:

To avoid breaking by heavy snow and loss of shape, lightly tightening the branches of multi-stemmed varietal specimens is necessary.

Juniper (Juniperus flaccida)

The species is also known as weeping juniper and is a tall tree with drooping branches forming a spreading crown. It grows naturally in the northeast of Pakistan, Mexico and the American state of Texas, where in 2022 the largest representative of the species was recorded, included in the list of champion trees.

The tree has reddish-brown or gray bark that falls off in strips. The needles of young shoots are sharp, needle-shaped, while mature plants have needles with flattened scales. The glossy bluish-black, oblong-shaped cones reach 1 cm in length and 4-7 mm in diameter - they are the center of attraction for a large number of birds and mammals living in the habitat of this plant.

Due to its unusual appearance, drooping juniper is planted as an ornamental plant. But in regions where the species grows in the wild, its durable, strong wood is used in construction.

This juniper feels best in well-lit, sunny places.

Virginia juniper (Juniperus virginiana)

Eastern red cedar - this is the name given to Virginia juniper despite the fact that it has nothing to do with cedars. The plant can take a wide variety of forms - from low horizontal shrubs to tall upright trees with needles of different shades. The species is widespread in eastern North America, where it is considered a “pioneer” tree - it was the first to colonize desert areas, spreading its seeds with the help of birds that love to feast on the dark blue cones.

The height of an adult tree can reach 15 m or more, and its wood is very aromatic and resistant to rotting. Thanks to these features, it is an excellent material for construction work, and is also used in the manufacture of chests, dishes and pencils. Virginia juniper oil is considered an effective remedy in the fight against moths.

An interesting feature of this juniper is its powerful root system with numerous lateral shoots with which it clings to the ground. This species is undemanding to soil; it can grow in direct sun and partial shade; most varieties are drought-resistant and not afraid of frost.

About 70 varieties of juniper virginiana are known, of which Glauca, Gray Owl, and Skyrocket are popular.

“A fire blazes in the forest like a bright sun, And, shrinking, the juniper crackles; Like drunken giants, a crowded choir, Flushed, staggers the spruce forest. I forgot to even think about the cold night, - It warmed me to the bones and to the heart; What was confusing, hesitatingly, rushed away, Like sparks in smoke, flew away. Let at dawn, descending ever lower, the smoke above the ashes freeze forlornly; For a long, long time, until late, the light will glow sparingly, lazily. And the lazily and sparingly flickering day will indicate nothing in the fog; A bent stump near the cold ash turns black alone in the clearing. But the night will frown and the fire will flare up, And the juniper will begin to writhe, And, like drunken giants, the crowded choir will blush and the spruce tree will stagger.” Afanasy Fet

Cossack juniper. Photo by I. Zolotukhin.

Surely many have heard that juniper is called the younger brother of the eternally mourning cypress. And not only because individual juniper trees are similar to the southern pointed giant, but because they are truly related to it - they belong to the same family - cypress. Juniper does not need any special introduction, since junipers are quite widespread in nature.

Juniper (lat. Juniperus) is a genus of evergreen coniferous plants of the Cypress family (Latin Cupressaceae), order Pine (Latin Pinales). These are small evergreen coniferous trees, up to 10-12 m high, less often up to 20-30 m, or shrubs, sometimes creeping. The bark of young plants is reddish in color, becoming dark brown with age. The crowns are spreading, dense, ovoid, pyramidal or irregular in shape. The shoots are branched and flexible. The genus is characterized by the presence of needle-shaped leaves up to 2 cm long, bluish-green in color. In adults of different species, the leaves can be either needle-shaped or scaly. The needle-shaped leaves are spiny, linear-lanceolate, spaced. Young needle-shaped leaves of junipers remain on the plant for up to 8-10 years. Later they are replaced by shorter, but the same needle-shaped leaves. The scaly leaves are small, pressed to the shoots, opposite in pairs or, less commonly, in three-membered whorls. Most junipers are dioecious, but monoecious species are also found. The most distinctive feature of all junipers, distinguishing them from the general mass of conifers, are their cones. In all other representatives of conifers, cones consist of hard, woody scales covering the seeds, while in juniper these scales become fleshy and grow together, forming a juicy, berry-like cone. They are often called that - shishkoyagoda. Juniper cones ripen either in the first year, or in the second or even third year after pollination. By the end of the first year, the cones reach their final size, but still remain green. By the end of the summer of the second year, they become soft, blue-black or dark burgundy with a bluish waxy coating. By the way, they are quite edible (in reasonable quantities!) and quite tasty. Depending on the type of juniper, a cone can contain from 1 to 12 seeds. Seed ripening ends in the autumn of the second year. Ripe seeds are brown, hard, and easily separated from the resinous pulp of the cone.

Junipers are photophilous, drought-tolerant, frost-resistant and undemanding to soil conditions. They grow successfully on infertile soils, so they are found high in the mountains (up to 4000 m above sea level), on marshy soils in the middle zone, among polar snows in the Arctic zone. Junipers have a powerful root system that grows faster than the crown and trunk - it penetrates widely and deeply into the soil, supplying the plant with moisture and nutrients even if they are present in the substrate in small quantities. Junipers grow extremely slowly, even under favorable conditions. These plants can be classified as long-livers; they can live up to 600 years, but in the mountains you can often find specimens aged 800 - 1000 years. Despite the fact that some of these venerable elders have an unattractive appearance (they have ugly twisted trunks with twisted branches), they successfully form cones and produce viable, benign seeds.

Junipers are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic to subtropical mountainous regions , with the exception of East African juniper (lat. Juniperus procera), common in Africa to 18° south latitude. Most species have small habitats confined to certain mountainous countries or mountain systems, and are replaced outside them by other, albeit close, but clearly distinguishable species. Tree-like junipers form light forests, which are a characteristic type of vegetation in the Mediterranean, Western and Central Asia and in the arid regions of southern North America and Mexico. In the territory of the former USSR, junipers are widespread in the flat parts of the forest zone and forest-tundra of our country, especially in the mountainous regions of the Crimea, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Far East.

Juniper false Cossack. Photo by E. Korolev.

There is no consensus among researchers about the origin of the Russian name for the plant “juniper” . Most often it is associated with the words “between the spruce forest”, since the plant is often found in coniferous forests, “brain” - because of the strong, vigorous wood, and the old Russian word “mozzha” - knot. There are many other versions of the appearance of this word , but according to the most common etymology, juniper goes back to the Proto-Slavic *moždževel, which, in turn, goes back to the Proto-Indo-European root *mezg- “to weave, knit.” In other Slavic languages, the name of juniper goes back to the Proto-Slavic *(j)alovьс (cf. Ukrainian. yalivets, Belarusian yadlovets, Czech. jaloves, Polish jałowies, V. Luzh. jаłорс), related, according to one version, to the word yalovy " barren,” and according to another, ancient Greek. ἐλάτη “spruce” and Armenian. ełevin "cedar". The Latin name of juniper “juniperus”, namely, which Carl Linnaeus preserved as the name of the genus, according to one version, comes from *joini-parus “giving branches suitable for weaving”, according to other sources - from the Celtic word Jeneprus - prickly, from -for the spiny leaves of some species. The plant has many popular names: heather, heather, mozha, juniper, grouse bush, yalovets, broguzhepernik. The Turkic name for juniper is juniper, the Altai peoples call it artysh. Well, geologists call this evergreen plant ore miner. After all, it was the juniper that helped discover new coal deposits in the Moscow region coal basin. In their search, geologists proceeded from the fact that large thickets of juniper usually form near coal seams. At the same time, additional information about underground storerooms is provided by the shape of the trunk and crown, the color of the needles and other characteristics of the plant.

The history of juniper dates back thousands of years. Even in the famous ancient Greek myth telling about the Argonauts, there is a mention of this plant. It was with his help that Medea put to sleep the monstrous snake that protected the Golden Fleece. Some Russian-speaking peoples have their own legend about juniper, and they associate it with the night of Ivan Kupala. The legend mentions a certain creature, Heather, who appears in the legend as a beautiful girl. It is believed that her house is located near Veres (juniper) and on the night of Ivan Kupala she leaves her house in the form of a beautiful, stately girl in a white shirt and lures young guys with her beauty, and they, after passionate embraces with her, go crazy and disappeared. A large number of superstitions about juniper are associated with the number three, since the berries of the plant have three seeds, the needles themselves are collected in groups of three, and there are also three scales in the female spikelets. In this our ancestors saw a connection with the Orthodox Trinity, and all this forced the inhabitants to endow the plant with supernatural properties. Juniper was widely considered a cleansing agent that exorcised evil spirits. People believed so strongly in the protective properties of juniper that after departing enemies they smoked it with lit branches, hoping that the enemy would never come again. And in order to protect livestock from disease and spoilage, they drove the animals to pasture with juniper shoots. Such cleansing fumigations with juniper were described by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus and the Roman writer and scientist Pliny the Elder. In Armenia and Britain, junipers were credited with magical properties - it was believed that witches could not stand their smell, and by carrying an amulet from this plant, one could calmly pass through crowds of evil creatures without fear of their persecution. This wonderful plant, according to ancient beliefs, saves from lightning strikes, so juniper branches must be in the house. And, in addition to this, he was credited with the ability to restore youth and protect against poisonous snakes. Conviction in the latter has deep roots, since even the inhabitants of Ancient Greece and Rome used juniper for this purpose. By the way, in Rus' they also wore juniper seeds on their bodies for this purpose. Among many tribes, juniper is still considered sacred and is used to cleanse a person and home from unclean spirits. Until now, juniper is always present in almost all rituals of the Altai people. They believe in its special cleansing power. This is the most sacred and revered plant, carefully kept in every Altai family. For some of the Altai genera, juniper is a totem plant.

Siberian juniper at the Baigazan cordon. Photo by M. Sakhnevich.

Juniper was first used as a medicinal plant in Ancient Egypt, then in Ancient Greece and Rome. Junipers, like all conifers, secrete phytoncides that are destructive to various pathogenic microflora. When rubbed in your hands, the needles emit a pungent resinous odor. The belief in the antibacterial properties of juniper led to its widespread use in household sanitation: juniper branches were used to fumigate houses and barns for any infection. The North American Indians, taking into account the disinfecting properties of juniper, used an original method of curing patients with tuberculosis - these patients were placed in juniper thickets for a long time and were not allowed to leave until they were completely cured. Juniper has long been used in Russian folk medicine. In Russia, the first printed message about the medicinal properties of juniper appeared in 1772 in the magazine “Economic Store”. Subsequently, junipers were officially included in the State Pharmacopoeia. Nowadays, you can read about the methods of using juniper for various diseases in many books devoted to the use of useful wild plants in our country. Of course, ancient peoples used the healing power of juniper, relying solely on experimental data and intuition, but we already know that the properties of juniper are explained by the presence in the needles and cones of a large amount of essential oil, the composition of which is unique.

Juniper needles are very useful ; they are rich in ascorbic acid, various phytoncides and alkaloids, but cone berries are more widely used for health purposes, which contain a large amount of medicinal substances: resinous substances, sugars (up to 40%, mainly fructose and glucose), essential oils, organic acids (malic, formic, acetic), wax, vitamin C, mineral salts, phytoncides. It was from cone berries that medicines were made, and their services are still used for many diseases. Modern medicine recommends taking juniper cones as a diuretic, disinfectant, and expectorant. Also indicated is the restorative, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, tonic, digestive stimulating, choleretic properties of this plant. Today, the beneficial effects of juniper in diseases of metabolism, gastrointestinal tract, and asthma have already been precisely established. By the way, knowing the amazing healing properties of the plant, a “berry duty” was established in Rus' in the 17th century. From many regions, juniper berries were brought to Moscow, where juniper oil and alcohol were made from it. A specific vodka “apoplektika” was prepared from alcohol, which was considered a remedy for all diseases. In those days, the alcoholic drink “juniper wort” was also prepared from juniper, used by kings during fasting.

Currently, thanks to the high sugar content, cone berries are used to make syrups, wine, vodka, cognac, beer and the famous English gin. Juniper essential oil is highly valued, which is contained not only in juniper cones, but also in their needles and young shoots. It is used mainly in the treatment of wounds and as a painkiller for rubbing in for rheumatism. Some components of juniper essential oils have valuable perfume properties. Thus, from the essential oil of Turkestan juniper, a substance with a subtle odor reminiscent of the aroma of roses is obtained. In addition, juniper cones are still a necessary spice for preparing fish and meat dishes - it gives them a unique aroma and taste. The vast areas occupied by junipers in our country make it possible to satisfy the needs of these industries. Since ancient times, people have used juniper not only in medicine and cooking. In rural areas, for example, shoots are still used as a kind of additive to bath brooms and for “steaming” (disinfecting) tubs and other wooden containers for storing fruits, vegetables and mushrooms.

From the bark of the trunk and branches of some junipers, a resin known as "German sandarac" is extracted, used to obtain white varnish. Since the bark, as well as needles, young shoots and cones of junipers contain a large amount of tannins, they can be used for tanning leather. Our ancestors even used juniper roots - they were used to make special ship dredge, or “heather threads”. During the construction of schooners, kochs, and corbass, pine boards were sewn together with exactly the same heather threads as sandpaper. Juniper wood began to be used relatively long ago. About 600 years ago, they taught literacy using juniper tablets, on which all the letters of the alphabet were written, but after some time they began to comprehend literacy with the help of pencils, which were dressed in a “juniper shirt.” Juniper wood has not lost its popularity in our time. Juniper wood is aromatic, has a beautiful, reddish, sometimes striped and wavy texture, somewhat darker than spruce and pine. It is heavy, of high density (1.5 times the density of cedar), homogeneous, flexible, non-hard, and convenient for carving. Does not swell when wet and almost does not decrease in volume when drying. These qualities, combined with a pleasant smell, put it in an advantageous position compared to other woods when making beads, brooches, bracelets, combs and hairpins, and teapot stands (when heated, the wood gives a pleasant resinous smell).

By the way, the smell of juniper is very persistent; even juniper products that have lain underground for thousands of years retain their characteristic smell . Juniper wood is used to make small turning products, dishes, and plywood for decorating furniture. It is not destroyed by microorganisms for a very long time. For this reason, junipers are called “non-grey trees.” The “father” of botany, Theophrastus, and the historian Pausanias, reported the use of juniper wood to make statues and build ships and houses. In some places in our country you can find well-preserved bridges made of juniper trunks, built many years ago. However, at present it is no longer possible to talk about the serious importance of juniper wood in the economy of the planet. There are so few juniper forests left on the globe that cutting them down is a crime. The soil-protective role of junipers is extremely important. A powerful root system not only helps supply the juniper with water and mineral salts, but also firmly holds the plant in the substrate and prevents water and wind erosion of soil on open slopes and slopes. It has been established that on steep mountain slopes, where junipers grow singly or in small groups, about 5 thousand m3 of soil is washed away from 1 hectare during the year, while in dense juniper thickets almost no soil erosion is observed. Juniper forests and woodlands continuously release huge amounts of essential oils that evaporate from the leaves. The air above such forests is completely cleared of microbes. Evaporation is especially intense in hot weather, and so much essential oils evaporate that 1 hectare of juniper forest would be enough to purify the air of a large city. However, junipers themselves suffer greatly from smoke and soot, and this limits their use in green construction of industrial centers. The most resistant in this regard is the common juniper. Juniper cones are a constant and favorite food for the inhabitants of juniper woodlands, especially in the hungry winter. On the outside, the seeds are covered with a hard, very dense brownish shell, which does not dissolve under the influence of the digestive juices of animals. Therefore, after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of birds, they do not lose their germination capacity. Birds, which eagerly eat juicy, nutritious cones, are the main distributors of junipers. The Russian names for juniper are associated with this - grouse berry, or grouse bush. Junipers are extremely popular in landscape design due to their huge variety of shapes, sizes and colors. They grow relatively slowly, require virtually no cutting and are unpretentious to growing conditions. They will decorate any site, any landscape design project, as they combine equally well not only with their coniferous counterparts, but also with deciduous shrubs and flowers. In addition, junipers have one irreplaceable quality - they are evergreens, therefore they are equally decorative at any time of the year.

Siberian juniper at the Baigazan cordon. Photo by M. Sakhnevich.

It should be noted that the use of juniper wood, intensive grazing, insufficient conservation measures, slow growth rates, soil erosion, avalanches and a number of other factors have led to a significant reduction in their reserves. Currently, five species of juniper are listed in the Red Book of Russia (coastal juniper, tall juniper, stinking juniper, hard juniper, Sargent juniper). Some types of junipers (common juniper, Daurian juniper, multifruited juniper, Cossack juniper, false Cossack juniper) are included in the regional Red Books. This does not mean that other types of junipers do not need caring treatment from humans.

According to The Plant List database (2013), the Juniper genus has 75 species. In Altai, the juniper genus is represented by three species: Cossack juniper, Siberian or common juniper, and false Cossack juniper.

Siberian juniper at the Baigazan cordon. Photo by M. Sakhnevich.

Siberian juniper is a variation of common juniper. This is a perennial coniferous dioecious shrub, up to 3 m high, with gray-brown bark and sharply awl-shaped, sickle-shaped leaves. Its bluish-black cones ripen only in the second year. In recent years, a variation of the common juniper, which has the shape of a squat shrub with branches spread across the soil, has been identified as an independent Siberian species - Siberian juniper. Their habitats are somewhat separated. Common juniper in the form of a small tree is common in the steppe, hilly part of Western Siberia, while the Siberian species is characteristic of its mountainous part and grows throughout the Altai Mountains.

Siberian juniper. Photo by M. Sakhnevich.

Cossack juniper is a shrub with branches spread across the soil or ascending, covered with brownish-gray cracking bark. Young branches are highly branched and tightly covered with small ones, pressed against them oppositely and crosswise with the next pair of leaves. The Cossack species belongs to the group of squamous junipers, so named for the special arrangement of leaves covering the branches. The leaves are small and sharp, pressed to the stems, fused with them by 1/2-2/3 and tightly cover the stem, like tiles on a roof. The flowers are inconspicuous, dioecious. Male inflorescences are oval, located singly at the ends of the stems. The female ones sit on the ends of the lateral, arched branches. Here, later, berry-shaped spherical cones appear. Each cone contains two or three, rarely four seeds, covered with a common shell. Ripe berries acquire a brownish-black color with a thick bluish-blue coating. The seeds take a long time to ripen - within two years. Therefore, on one bush you can find both annual and biennial berries. Cossack juniper contains poisonous essential sabinol oil, bitter glucoside, gallic acid, tannins, resin, wax, vitamins C. The plant is highly poisonous. In Altai, Cossack juniper grows in mountain steppe and semi-steppe regions, on rocky mountain slopes and coastal cliffs. It is common in harsh, arid and cold areas, where it winters without snow cover. This ensured its high drought resistance and winter hardiness, which is important when grown in the northern regions. Cossack juniper is included in the Red Books of 9 regions of the Russian Federation.

False-Cossack juniper is a highly branched and spread-out shrub with densely dressed, crosswise pairs of leaves, imbricately overlapping each other. Like the Cossack juniper, the leaf has the shape of a needle. False Cossack juniper is included in the Red Book of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

All species of junipers native to Altai grow on the territory of the Altai Nature Reserve. A common species for the territory of the Altai Nature Reserve is Siberian juniper - it covers the black, mountain-taiga, forest-steppe, and high-mountain belts. Except for the northern Priteletskaya part of the reserve and the forest-steppe, where it is rare, it is found in all floristic regions without exception. Altitude limits of distribution 500-2650 m above sea level. m.

False-Cossack juniper is often found in the reserve - it covers the mountain-taiga (upper part) and alpine zones. Grows in T, B, W, Ch, U, D, Z floristic regions. Altitude limits of distribution 1500-2650 m above sea level. m. Cossack juniper in the reserve is a rare species. In the Chulyshman forest-steppe it is found more often than in the rest of the territory. The reserve covers the black, forest-steppe, mountain-taiga, high-mountain (lower part) belts. Grows in T, B, W, U, Z, K floristic regions. Altitude limits of distribution 440-2200 m above sea level. m. Juniper does not grow in the vicinity of the Baigazan cordon, but a small bush of Siberian juniper, which was given by friends, has taken root in the garden. Over time, the bush grew and turned into a luxurious, prickly beauty. The juniper bush has truly become a decoration of the garden, and its size and the pleasant aroma emanating from it do not leave the guests of the reserved cordon indifferent.

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Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa)

This species is widespread throughout the Eastern Mediterranean: Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria. In nature, Greek juniper is an evergreen tree from 9 to 18 m high with rich greenish-blue needles and a rather massive trunk - its thickness can reach 1.5 m.

This species of juniper is a dioecious plant, and the fleshy purple-blue cones, a favorite treat for birds, appear only on female specimens.

Its picturesque appearance and stunning aroma make this tree an excellent option for planting near residential buildings and in city parks. Its needles are often used to create Christmas wreaths and decorations.

Greek juniper is so hardy that it can even grow on rocky cliffs. In culture, caring for it is not difficult, because the tree does not need pruning and is undemanding to growing conditions.

Juniper (Juniperus monosperma)

This type of juniper grows in the western regions of North America and northern Mexico, at an altitude of 900 to 2300 m above sea level. It is a dense evergreen shrub or tree with several trunks and a dense rounded crown. The height of the plant is usually from 2 to 7 m, occasionally reaching 12 m. Its needles have a light green tint, and the grayish-brown bark peels off in thin strips that crumble, revealing reddish wood.

Juniper gets its name because its cones usually contain only one seed. The cones are small, round or ovoid, 5-7 mm long, dark blue in color with a pale waxy coating. Insect damage often exposes the seed tip of the buds, rendering them sterile.

Due to the characteristics of the fruit, this species is also called cherry juniper. It is usually planted for decorative purposes; Unlike other types of juniper, the wood of this plant is short-lived.

Rock juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)

This juniper is a close relative of the eastern red cedar and is sometimes called mountain or Colorado red cedar. It is a pyramidal tree with a height of 1 to 9 m, shaped like a Christmas tree. The color of the needles varies from pale blue-gray to dark green. Under natural conditions, this species grows on the rocky slopes of American and Canadian mountains at an altitude of 1200-2700 m above sea level.

Rock juniper has male and female flowers that are pollinated from April to May, and the fruits ripen from October to December. Fleshy dark blue cones, round in diameter, grow up to 6 mm in diameter and are a delicacy for animals and people. Native American residents consumed them raw and cooked, and added them to dishes and drinks. And now rock juniper cones are used to make flavored teas, baked goods, and meat delicacies.

This species has a slow growth rate, loves the sun and is undemanding to growing conditions. About 20 varieties are known in cultivation, among which Moonglow, Blue Arrow, and Blue Heaven are often grown.

Utah juniper (Juniperus utahensis)

This juniper is the most common tree species in the American state of Utah (occupies 1/5 of the entire forest area of ​​the state), which is why it got its name. It is also found in other western regions of the United States, where it is known as “cedar juniper” and “desert juniper.”

A plant of this species is a shrub or multi-stemmed tree with a rounded crown, reaching 6-10 m in height. The scaly needles are yellow-green in color, lighter than those of other junipers, and the bark is a typical gray-brown color that peels off in thin strips. The cone berries are round in shape, 8-9 mm in diameter, bluish-brown in color and covered with a gray coating.

In the wild, Utah juniper prefers alkaline soils of plains and mountain plateaus - most specimens grow on gravelly loams with a pH level of 7.4-8. Plants of this species also like good lighting and direct sun.

A variety of Utah juniper called the Coniferous Giant is often grown in cultivation.

Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)

This species of juniper is naturally found in mountainous areas in the western United States, at an altitude of 800 to 3000 m above sea level. Depending on the growing conditions, it can grow as a large shrub or single-trunk tree from 4 to 15 m in height.

The bark is red-brown in color, smooth on young shoots, and peels off in thin scales or flakes on mature branches and trunk. The crown can be conical or rounded, the branches are located horizontally or directed upward. On young shoots the needles are needle-shaped; on mature shoots they traditionally become scaly.

Blue-brown cones with a white waxy coating ripen every 2 years and are food for birds (thrushes and waxwings), which carry seeds over long distances.

Western juniper is widespread in the wild, but is rarely planted for ornamental purposes.

Many types of juniper, especially Virginia, are susceptible to rust infection, so it is not recommended to plant them next to fruit trees. The neighborhood with junipers is most dangerous for apple, pear, and quince trees.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of juniper are due to its wide chemical composition, which contains substances beneficial to the human body. The chemical composition of the culture contains essential oils, tannins and carbohydrates, as well as other medicinal properties. Roots, young shoots, and heather berries are used as medicinal raw materials. Among the most active beneficial properties of heather are:

• expectorant effect;
• elimination of tooth pain, swelling of soft tissues;
• relieving inflammation;
• optimization of the heart and blood vessels, normalization of blood pressure;
• elimination of allergic reactions, skin rashes;
• needles are used as an antiseptic for treating wounds and skin;
• choleretic agent;
• diuretic effect.

In addition, juniper berries and shoots contain vitamins and minerals that improve appetite and normalize the body's immune response to pathogenic factors.