Juniperus drupacea
| Juniperus drupacea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 49' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Juniperus drupacea (common name: syrian 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 dry soils, tolerating drought once it is established[5]. Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil[3]. Prefers a limestone soil, growing well on chalk, but it also succeeds in very acid soils[6]. Grows well on dry banks[6].
A very ornamental plant[4] that is fairly fast growing for a juniper[2][5]. A tree at Westonbirt Arboretum was 7 metres tall after 23 years[2][5].
This species is resistant to honey fungus[7].
Cones are rarely if ever produced in Britain, could this be due to a lack of female trees?[4] Only male trees have been seen in cultivation in Britain[5].
Seed takes 2 years to mature[6].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: S. Europe, W. Asia, N. Africa.
Habitat: Rocky slopes in forest or scrub, 1000 - 1500 metres in Turkey[8].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. Large and sweet[9][10][11].The cones are about 20 - 25mm in diameter and take 2 years to mature[6].
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
Also Known As: Arceuthos drupacea.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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 4.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Mitchell, Alan. Conifers in the British Isles. Stationery Office Books, 1975.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ RHS. The Garden Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society, 1987.
- ↑ Davis, Peter. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press, 1965.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 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.