Cupressaceae: Juniperus communis
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Family Name
Cupressaceae
Common Name
Common Juniper
Description
Juniperus communis is a low, spreading evergreen shrub, growing to 1.5 m high, often forming clumps. The young twigs are yellowish and 3-angled and older stems becoming grayish and finally reddish brown with shredding papery bark. The leaves are needle-shaped, waxy, 10-18 mm long, up to 1.5 mm wide, in whorls of 3 and curved sharply just above the base. The plants are dioecious with axillary, sessile pollen-bearing cones that are and mostly single, 3-5 mm long and 1-2 mm wide being produce on male plants. Female plants produce seed cones that are fleshy, dark blue with a waxy bloom, globose, 5-10 mm in diameter, maturing in the second year and contain 1-3 brown seeds. New cones are pollinated in May and June, usually on wooded hillsides in western South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed collection: Collect large dark blue cones in the fall, avoiding the light colored cones in their first year.
Germination: Seeds are dormant and need stratification for more than 1 year. Bury them outside in the fall for a year and then plant them shallowly the following fall. Seedlings will begin to emerg the following year.
Vegetative propagation: Fall or winter cuttings can be treated with rooting hormone and planted in sandy rooting media and kept in a bright, moist site for several months to a year, until roots form.
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Soil: Most well drained garden soils will support growth.
Water: Moist to mesic conditions produce the best growth.
Additional Notes
Common juniper is a common understory species in upland woodlands. It is also sold commercially for urban plantings throughout the state. Juniper berries can be used to flavor meat, soups, stews, and pickled foods. They grow well in most gardens and will live a very long time.