Juniperus excelsa
| Juniperus excelsa | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 66' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Juniperus excelsa (common name: grecian 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. Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil[3] and succeeding on chalk[5].
Plants are tender when young, they require a sheltered position[4].
The crushed foliage emits a warm resinous scent[6].
Plants are usually dioecious though sometimes they are monoecious[3]. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: S. Europe to E. Asia.
Habitat: Inner dry ranges of the Himalayas, 1500 - 4200 metres[7], from Nepal to Afghanistan.
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. A liquid is obtained from the fruit[7] (used for drinking?).The cones are about 7 - 12mm in diameter and take 2 years to mature[5].
Medicinal: The smoke from the branches is used in India to treat the delirium of fevers[8].
Usage: The bark is used for roofing[7].
Wood - moderately hard, close and even grained, fragrant, good quality. Used for construction, fuel and it is also burnt as an incense[4][7][9]. The crushed foliage emits a warm resinous scent[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: J. macropoda. Boiss.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Rushforth, Keith. Conifers. Batsford, 1991.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 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 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Mitchell, Alan. Conifers in the British Isles. Stationery Office Books, 1975.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.