The genus Juniper (lat. Juniperus) combines evergreen coniferous shrubs and trees of the Cypress family (Cupressaceae) and has more than sixty species of monoecious or dioecious plants.
As a rule, they grow in the Northern Hemisphere. In this article we will talk about one variety - Daurian juniper. You will learn about the features of this plant, where it is better to plant it and how to care for it.
Juniper daursky: description of the plant
This evergreen plant in vivo grows in Transbaikalia and Yakutia, Northern China and Mongolia, in the Far East of our country - in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, Amur Region. Daurian juniper was first described in the book "Vegetation of Russia" in 1789 by the German encyclopedic scientist Peter Simon Pallas, who had lived in Russia for a long time.
This species grows in small groups, much less often singly, preferring rocky placers of mountain slopes, on char, rocks, as well as in river valleys, on rocks of sea shores, in sand dunes. Able in the mountains to rise to a height of 1400 meters above sea level.
External features
Creeping shrubs may have rising branches covered with light gray bark, which in some areas is stratified. Shoots tetrahedral, thin. Needles of various shapes are formed on them.
Needle-shaped - grows opposite and crosswise in the lowest part of the shoot. She is very tender, thin, painted in bright green color, not more than 0.8 cm long. She is a little away from the shoot and has sharp tips.
At the ends of the shoots, scaly needles grow. It is pressed tightly against them, has a rhombic shape, gray-green in color. In winter, this species of needles turns brown.
Fruit
These are cone berries, painted in brown-blue, purplish-brown with a bluish tinge of color. The shape of the fruit is spherical, with a diameter of 0.5 cm.
Seeds
They have an ovoid-oblong shape, slightly flattened, with a pointed apex. Their fruit contains up to four pieces. Often they come out.
Varieties
In culture, this species is quite rare, although, according to landscape designers, it deserves much more use in landscaping, especially when decorating rocky slides. The most widespread varieties are Leningrad and Expansa Variegata.
Leningrad
Juniper Daurian "Leningrad" is an evergreen dwarf coniferous shrub with creeping shoots. The height of an adult plant does not exceed half a meter, and the diameter of the crown can reach two meters. This Daurian juniper has a pillow-shaped crown, over the years it becomes prostrate. The shoots of the plant are able to change their color from dark to light brown.
The needles are painted in a beautiful saturated gray-green color. She is very small and prickly. This juniper, like most other varieties, loves open sunny areas, develops well and gives growth on drained, light loam, slightly acidic soils. He loves day spraying, but waterlogging can damage the root system of the plant.
The view looks interesting in heather gardens, alpine hills, borders, in compositions with higher conifers.
Expansa variegata
Low-growing shrub with horizontally spread strong shoots. In height does not exceed fifty centimeters and reaches two meters in diameter of the crown. It gives an increase of about ten centimeters annually. Scales and needles are bluish-green. Most of the shoots have a mottled creamy white color.
In addition to a very attractive appearance, seedlings of Daurian juniper Expansa Variegata have a disinfecting effect. They destroy more than 30% of the microbes that are in the air. This plant is great for decorating rocky slides and Japanese gardens.
The variety is absolutely not picky about the soil. Prefers well-lit sunny areas. Needs timely pruning of damaged and dried branches. It is recommended for landing on personal plots, for alpine hills. Landing can be both group and single. Used as a groundcover.
Choosing a place to land
Juniper Juniper, a photo of which we posted in this article, is planted in sunny open areas. In the shade, plants tend to grow loose. They lose the decorative virtues of this form. Small shade is well tolerated only by common juniper.
Landing
Daurian juniper, planting and caring for which is not difficult even for beginner gardeners, is completely not picky about soils. Under natural conditions, it successfully develops under various conditions: on sandy deposits, rocky placers, limestones, sand and pebble shafts, rocks.
When planting, the distance between the plants primarily depends on the desired effect, but usually ranges from 50 centimeters to 2 meters. Depth of landing depends on the root system and coma of the earth. As a rule, this is 70 centimeters, but with further soil sprinkling. Sand and broken brick with a layer of about 20 centimeters are used as drainage.
The plant shows the best growth results in a soil mixture consisting of peat, turf land and sand (2: 1: 1). All types of junipers are undemanding to soil fertility.
Care
In order for the Daurian juniper to develop normally, in spring it must be fed with a nitroammophos at the rate of 30 g / m². The plant does not tolerate dry air, it develops better on soils of moderate moisture. In a very dry and hot summers, watering is recommended, but no more than 3 times per season, and weekly spraying, which is carried out in the evening after sunset.
Loosening is carried out shallow immediately after watering and weeding the weeds, this is especially important for young plantings. For mulching, peat, wood chips or sawdust are used with a layer of about 8 centimeters. This must be done immediately after planting.
Pruning, cutting depends on the place of cultivation and type of plant. Basically, these procedures are aimed at removing dry branches. Juniper of this species does not need shelter for the winter. An exception is only the first winter after planting, especially in the northern regions.
Using
Daurian juniper is used for planting on slopes, slopes, for the design of alpine slides. It can be a spectacular decoration of small gardens and landscape-architectural compositions.
Juniper fruits are used as a spice; they also look very decorative on bushes in single plantings, as well as in small groups among stones in a park landscape. This juniper looks impressive against the background of not very deep snow. Creeping and stunted species, which include Daurian, are indispensable for strengthening slopes.
Some species have been successfully used to design protective strips and hedges. Application can be limited only by the slow growth of the plant. Almost all junipers do not tolerate smoke and soot, which greatly limits the possibility of planting them in industrial centers.
Partner plants
Daurian juniper goes well with erica and heathers, with some groundcover forms of pines, ornamental cereals, roses and wild perennials.
Breeding
Juniper propagates by cuttings and seeds. More than 70 percent of winter cuttings successfully root without additional processing.