Juniperus californica
| Juniperus californica | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 39' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Late Winter-Mid Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Juniperus californica (common name: californian juniper)
Propagation: The seed requires a period of cold stratification. The seed has a hard seedcoat and can be very slow to germinate, requiring a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each of 2 - 3 months duration[1][2]. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process[3]. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some might germinate in the following spring, though most will take another year. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seedcoat has hardened). The seedlings can be potted up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on in pots until large enough, then plant out in early summer. When stored dry, the seed can remain viable for several years[4].
Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn[4][1].
Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil[4][3][5]. Established plants are drought tolerant, succeeding in hot dry positions[5].
A slow-growing and generally long-lived tree[6], all introductions to Britain up to now (1990) have proved tender, this plant is only really suitable for hot dry climates[2]. Grows better in dry areas with hot summers, W. Britain is generally to cool and wet for this species to thrive[5].
The seed takes two summers to ripen[6].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: South-western N. America - California.
Habitat: Dry rocky, gravelly or sandy soils on dry mountain slopes and hills, 120 - 1200 metres[7][6].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. A thick, sweet, dry, fibrous and non-resinous flesh[7][6]. It can also be dried and ground into a powder then used as a flavouring in various dishes or eaten as a mush[8][9][7][10][11]. The fruit is produced abundantly in the wild, though it is unlikely to be freely produced in Britain[K]. The cones are about 10 - 20mm in diameter[5].
Medicinal: The scorched twigs have been rubbed on the body in the treatment of fits[11].
The leaves are analgesic, diaphoretic and hypotensive[11]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of high blood pressure, coughs and colds and to bring relief from a hangover (the bark was also used in this case)[11]. It has also been taken by pregnant women just prior to childbirth in order to relax the muscles[11].
Usage: Wood - soft, close grained, durable in contact with the soil. It is used for fencing and fuel[7].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Dioecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rushforth, Keith. Conifers. Batsford, 1991.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ The Herb Society. Herbal Review, Volume 11.3. The Herb Society, 1986.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.