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Woody > Juniperus > Juniperus drupacea > Juniperus drupacea

Juniperus drupacea


Syrian Juniper




Origin:  Syria and Turkey.
Family
Cupressaceae
Genus
Juniperus
Species
drupacea
Category
Woody
Type
Tree (evergreen)
Synonyms
Arceuthos drupacea
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8
Canadian Hardiness Zone
6-9
RHS Hardiness Zone
H5-H6
Temperature (°C)
-23
Temperature (°F)
-9
Height
15 m
Spread
2 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
MarchAprilMay
General Description
A medium sized tree which grows considerably faster than other junipers. It is one of the tallest Junipers and bears the largest fruit of the genus.
Landscape
Used for screens, hedges, windbreaks, also grown in rock gardens or groupings.
Cultivation
Plant in full sun and dry-moist soils; it is drought tolerant once established. It can tolerate sandy, loamy, and clay soils as long as the soil is well-drained and neutral to slightly alkaline.
Shape
Broadly conical with a pointed crown.
Growth
Fast
ID Characteristic
It is a vigorous plant and is easily identifiable by it wide needles and large cones. The pollen cones develop in groups of 3-6.
Pests
Twig blight, rocky mountain juniper aphid, bagworm, juniper midge, and webworms. This particular Juniper is resistant to honey fungus.
Habitat
Usually found growing in shallow rocky soils in forests or on mountain slopes at an altitude of 600-1,800 m. It occurs in small groups or solitary specimens mixed with other coniferous species.
Bark/Stem Description
The bark is orange-brown when young and then turns ashy-grey as the tree matures.
Leaf Description
Rigid, spreading or reflexed, oblong to linear-lanceolate. Channelled at the upper surface and keeled at the lower surface. Scales are small and in rows of 7-8, with a sharp pointed apex. Needles are roughly 15 mm in length.
Flower Description
Staminate flowers consisting of 5-6 in a head, on a short, scaly stalk. Stamens are 9-12 in each flower.
Fruit Description
Fruit, 20-25 mm in diameter, ovate and ripens in the second year. The fruit is edible and consists of 6-9 fleshy scales in groups of three. When the fruit develops, it is greenish developing to a blue-violet to brown colour when ripe.
Colour Description
Needles are green with a slight tinge of yellow. The bark is a peeling grey colour and the fruit is a blue-brown.
Texture Description
Medium textured plant with pointy needles, but not sharp, with scaly bark.
Notable Specimens
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England.
Propagation
Seeds require a period of cold stratification and have a hard coat which can cause very slow germination. It requires a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each 2-3 months in duration. Cuttings can be taken in September through October and placed in a cold frame, then should be transferred and planted outside the following autumn.
Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer)
The wood may be used due to its decay-resistance. The cones have high levels of sugars and are used in Turkey for marmalade or sometimes as dried fruit. A strong, diuretic oil can be extracted from the fruit and used for flavouring gin.
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