Description
Meyeri's juniper (Juniperus squamata Meyeri) is a favorite among gardeners and landscape designers coniferous evergreen shrub. The popularity of the variety is due to the elegance of the crown and original color needles: obliquely arranged branches with hanging silver-blue ends inspire people who are passionate about gardening to create unique landscape compositions. The shrub is especially beautiful during the period of active growth (late May - June). The growth rate is average (10 cm per year), the shoots are straight, the branches are short. An adult plant can reach 2-5m in height. The fruits are dark blue with a waxy coating of cones. Often used as a plant to create Bonsai.
| Dimensions of an adult plant: | shrub, reaches 3-4 m in height and 1-2 m in width. At 10 years of age the height is 1 m. |
| Crown shape: | fountain-shaped, spreading, dense, side shoots hanging down. |
| Needles: | needle-shaped, short, silver-blue. |
| Fruit: | numerous gray-blue berries with a bluish bloom. |
| Features of growth: | grows slowly |
| Soils: | It is unpretentious to soils, but prefers loose, slightly acidic, well-drained, loamy or sandy loam soils. |
| Relation to light: | prefers light partial shade. In northwest conditions, light shelter is recommended in early spring, from sunburn. |
| Frost resistance: | Juniper scaly Meieri has high frost resistance. A light winter shelter is recommended to protect against snow pressure. |
| Application: | Recommended for single and group plantings, rocky gardens, rock gardens, heather landscapes. |
It is better to plant juniper in sunny places, slight shading is allowed. The distance between planted plants is from 0.5 to 2 m, depending on the size. The planting pit should be 2-3 times larger than the earthen ball and up to 70 cm deep for adult plants. At the bottom of the pit, make a drainage layer of sand or broken bricks about 20 cm thick. When planting, it is important that the root collar is not buried.
Junipers prefer soil with a slightly acidic to neutral reaction (see). Soil mixture made in a ratio of 2:1:1 from peat, sand and turf soil, respectively. After planting, the plant needs to be watered abundantly for a week.
In dry summers it needs to be watered. Junipers do not tolerate dry air well, so it is advisable to sprinkle regularly. Fertilizers are applied once a year in the spring at the end of April or in May (nitroammofoska, Kemira-universal, etc.). Young plants need shallow loosening.
For the winter, the plants are sprinkled with peat with a layer thickness of 10 cm, and the young plants are covered with spruce branches. Columnar varieties may suffer from heavy snowfalls, so in the fall the branches are pressed to the trunk with tape or rope (see,).
Planting, care and description of scaly juniper
Juniper scaly - unpretentious evergreen cypress family. Its natural habitat is the Himalayas, mountains of China and Afghanistan. The plant is grown throughout Russia. In the northern regions of the country, it requires additional shelter for the winter. Juniper is used for single and group compositions in landscape design.
Scaly juniper is a coniferous shrub. Its lifespan is about 600 years. It withstands drought, low and high temperatures. Depending on the species, it has a grayish-blue or bright green dense crown. The length of the needles is 0.5-0.8 cm.
Source: Depositphotos
Scaly juniper grows very slowly
Juniper grows very slowly. The annual increase in height and width depends on the species and ranges from 3 to 15 cm. Juniper reaches 1.5 m in height and 2.5 m in width.
Juniper contains a lot essential oils that calm you down nervous system and relieve stress.
In the 2nd year after planting, at the end of spring, cone berries about 7 cm long grow on the shrub. They are dark blue in color and covered with a waxy coating. The coniferous shrub grows in sunny places and is undemanding to soil and air humidity. Scaly juniper is a dioecious plant that reproduces by cuttings and seeds.
The health of the plant depends on planting. Consider the characteristics of juniper and follow the basic planting recommendations:
The shrub adapts to any conditions. In order for the plant to maintain its decorative look, follow the rules of care:
Juniper does not demand increased attention. It is enough to know the basic rules of care so that the bush all year round retained its attractiveness.
Description
Juniperus squamata Holger- evergreen coniferous shrub. The spreading crown grows up to 0.8 m in height and 1.5 m in diameter. The needles are whitish-blue. The current year's shoots have a golden hue. The fruits are small dark blue cones with a bluish coating. The shrub is very decorative both when planted alone and as part of large and small landscape compositions. Thanks to its original coloring, it is popular among collectors of garden rarities. It cleans the air well of pathogenic bacteria.
| Crown diameter and height: | Reaches a height of 0.5-0.7 m with a diameter of 1.5-2 m. At 10 years, the height is 0.5 m with a crown diameter of 1 m. |
|---|---|
| Needles: | The needles are silver-blue, needle-shaped. Young spring growths are golden yellow in color. |
| Features of growth: | Growth is moderately fast. |
| The soil: | Prefers moderately dry soils with an acidic or alkaline reaction. |
| Light: | Shade-tolerant, but best grown only in sunny places. |
| Moisture: | Undemanding to moisture. |
| Frost resistance: | Frost-resistant. |
| Landing: | Planted in filled planting holes, watered abundantly after planting. Mulch with peat, sawdust, wood chips in a layer of up to 5-8 cm. |
| Care and protection: | Pruning to restore appearance or removing some dead branches. |
| Decorative qualities: | An unusual combination of yellow ends of shoots with a main silver color. |
It is better to plant juniper in sunny places, slight shading is allowed. The distance between planted plants is from 0.5 to 2 m, depending on the size. The planting hole should be 2-3 times larger than the earthen ball and up to 70 cm deep for adult plants. At the bottom of the hole, make a drainage layer of sand or broken brick about 20 cm thick. When planting, it is important that the root collar is not buried.
Junipers prefer soil with a slightly acidic to neutral reaction (see). The soil mixture is made in a 2:1:1 ratio from peat, sand and turf soil, respectively. After planting, the plant needs to be watered abundantly for a week.
In dry summers it needs to be watered. Junipers do not tolerate dry air well, so it is advisable to sprinkle regularly. Fertilizers are applied once a year in the spring at the end of April or in May. Young plants need shallow loosening.
For the winter, the plants are sprinkled with peat with a layer thickness of 10 cm, and the young plants are covered with spruce branches. Columnar varieties may suffer from heavy snowfalls, so in the fall the branches are pressed to the trunk with tape or rope (see,).
Junipers, whose name contains English word“blue” (translated as blue), have needles of a beautiful blue hue. In the garden, such plants are most often used as ground cover due to their creeping crown. With its noble beauty, blue juniper sets off green coniferous plants and deciduous shrubs. White flowers of lilac, hydrangea, cinquefoil, and mock orange will add solemnity and pomp to the composition. For vertical accents, medium-sized plants with columnar or pyramidal shapes are selected. Below you will find descriptions of varieties and characteristics and brief information about how planting and care are carried out - for each variety.
Juniper horizontal, or prostrate- refers to the best ground cover species. Slow growing, does not tolerate low air humidity.
"Blue chip" A small shrub, the size of which does not exceed 30 cm in adulthood. The crown is low, creeping, star-shaped. The edges of the shoots are feather-like directed to the sides and upwards. The needles are very prickly, with a blue tint. Retains decorative effect in well-lit areas. Juniper Blue Chip must be planted in a hole with good drainage, as this variety does not tolerate waterlogging. Sufficiently frost-resistant.
Juniperus horizontalis – Blue Chip
"Blue Forest" It can reach a height of 40 cm, it grows mainly in width: the crown spreads out to 1.5 meters. The shoots stick up. The needles are small, dense, short, silver-blue in color, changing to purple in winter. The bush can tolerate light shading. It grows well on sandy and loamy soils of medium moisture.
"Blue moon" Creeping bush up to 30 cm high in adulthood. The needles are bluish-gray. An excellent ground cover - forms dense cushion-shaped clumps. The branches lie lash-like on the ground and can take root on their own. The shoots are very thin, tender, bluish in summer, brown in winter.
"Ice Blue" A dwarf shrub with a height of only 0.15 m, with a good growth rate. The crown in adulthood grows to 2.5 meters. The shoots are flexible, long, and form a green-blue continuous carpet. When landing in heavy clay soil device is required. IN landing hole Be sure to add sand. This variety has good adaptability, is easy to replant, resistant to low humidity and drought, and frost-resistant.
"Winter Blue" Valuable ground cover variety. Undemanding to soil. It remains decorative in sunny, well-lit planting areas. The needles have a silvery tint, becoming intensely blue in winter.
Chinese juniper- takes root well and shows its decorative properties in regions with a temperate climate.
"Blue Alps" A very common variety popular with gardeners. The medium-sized shrub Blue Alps has a height of 2.5-4 meters. The needles are hard and prickly, light green in color with a silvery tint. The crown is funnel-shaped, the shoots hang down slightly, and can reach two meters in diameter. Frost-resistant, light-loving.
"Blue cloud" low bush 0.5-1.2 m high. The branches are thin and smell unpleasant when cut. The needles are bluish-steel in color. The crown is flat and wide.
"Blue point". Medium height beautiful bush. The crown is very dense, teardrop-shaped. Dense branches are evenly raised. The color of the needles is gray-blue.
Rock juniper
It is necessary to plant only in bright places protected from the wind. In the shade, the crown becomes loose, the trunk becomes bare. Suffer from heavy snowfalls - branches need to be tied up and snow shaken off.
"Blue Arrow" Tall (3.5-4 meters) variety. The crown is columnar with tightly pressed branches. Easy to cut, suitable for creating spiral shapes.
In a sunny, well-lit place, the color of Blue Arrow juniper needles is bluish-blue, and in the shade it turns green.
Juniperus scopulorum - Blue Arrow (Blue Arrow juniper)
"Blue heaven" The shape of the crown is narrow pyramidal, pin-shaped, with a pointed apex. IN good conditions can grow up to 5 meters. It is distinguished by the bright blue color of its needles.
"Steel blue" A variety with a flat-lying crown, bluish needles.
"Wichita blue" Popular variety with a straight, wide-pinned crown shape. The branches fit tightly and point upward. The color of the needles is bright, green-blue. The height of the bush is up to 4 m.
Juniper squamosus
"Blue carpet" A very well-known and widespread variety, characterized by good growth energy. Valued as an excellent ground cover plant. With a bush height of only 30 -50 cm, the crown diameter can reach 2.5 meters. The crown is wide and flat-lying, branched. The shoots are long and spreading. The color of the needles is gray-blue. Tolerates partial shade.
"Blue star" A small shrub with a semicircular, dense, wide crown. Can grow up to 1 meter in height. Slow growing. Drainage is required - does not tolerate stagnant water. During cold winters, Blue Star juniper can be damaged by frost.
Juniperus Squamata Blue Star
"Blue Swede". The height of the bush reaches 60-70 cm, the crown diameter is up to 2 meters in good conditions. The branches are single, well defined, raised upward. The needles are very hard, intensely blue, and in winter they acquire a light purple tint.
1. Junipers should not be planted directly into the turf. The seedling grows poorly on uncultivated soil.
2. The planting hole should not be very deep, but wide, since young juniper is superficial root system.
3. If the soil in the hole is clayey and sticks to the shovel, then it is necessary to perform drainage: pour crushed stone or broken bricks onto the bottom.
4. Junipers love light soil. When planting in a hole, you need to add a package of vermicompost (such as “Living Earth”) mixed with vermiculite, coconut substrate, and pine litter from the forest. You cannot add manure to the soil, mineral fertilizers or ash.
5. You cannot bury the root collar of the seedling.
4. The soil around the bush should be about 3 cm thick: pine litter, mown grass, rotted sawdust, wood chips will do.
5. For the first two years, the seedling is covered with non-woven material for the winter, and with the beginning of spring, a plastic fruit box or wastepaper basket with holes is placed on it. These measures will protect the young plant from the spring burning of needles and frost.
Young seedlings can be replanted by carefully digging them out with a large lump of earth. Adult plants tolerate transplantation extremely poorly, but if such a need arises, do this:
Junipers taken from the forest almost never take root!
Garden composition from coniferous shrubs looks harmonious if it contains at least three plants of different shapes and heights. While the bushes have not grown, the space between them can be filled with flowering annuals.
Examples of compositions:
Composition 1.
Composition 2.
Composition with thuja and spruce
Composition 3.
Composition with a track
Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata) is a monoecious shrub. It has tree-like, prostrate and creeping forms. The branches are dense. Young shoots are hanging, round in cross-section, dense. The needles are thick, hard and sharp, dark green below, silvery above from stomatal stripes, lanceolate, in whorls 3 to 8 mm long, sickle-shaped and semi-pressed to the shoot, without a keel. oval, 68 mm long, shiny, changing color from red to purple-black, containing 1 seed. They ripen in the second year.
These trees of the Cypress family come from mountainous regions. East Asia. In cultivation since 1824, Scaly juniper, photos of which are widely presented in our photo gallery, is highly ornamental plant. It is used both in single plantings and to create original landscape compositions.
Plants of the Cypress family are not very frost-resistant and in some years can freeze out in the conditions of the Moscow region. At severe frosts Frost holes appear on some branches, the needles turn brown and dry out.
Breeders know more than 10 varieties of scaly juniper. They all differ from each other in the color of the needles and the shape of the crown.
Juniper variety ‘Dream Joy’. Height at 10 years is 0.6 m with a width of 1.2 m, annual growth is 10-15 cm. The crown is cushion-shaped, correct form. The skeletal branches are numerous, arched, with drooping ends, evenly directed in all directions. The needles are needle-shaped, protruding, greenish-yellow on young shoots, later bluish-green.
Scaly juniper variety ‘Golden Flame’. Crown shape similar to ‘Meyeri’. Individual shoots and sections of twigs are cream-colored.
Juniper scaly “Blue Carpet” was bred in 1972 in Holland. This is a female clone, creeping low on the ground. At 10 years, the height is 0.3 m with a width of 1.2-1.5 m. The needles are needle-shaped, bluish-silver, 6-9 mm long, up to 2 m wide, sharp, but not prickly, forming regular rows on the shoot.
Scaly juniper ‘Blue Star’ was bred in the 1950s in Holland. Male clone. A dense, stocky shrub with an irregular, wide-oval crown up to 1 m high and 1.5 m wide. Annual growth is 3-5 cm. The branches are ascending and dense. Branches and shoots are short and dense. The needles are needle-shaped, protruding, prickly, bluish-green, forming regular rows. Witch's broom is adapted from the 'Meyeri' variety.
Juniper scaly 'Holger' was bred in Sweden in 1946. The crown is flattened and low. The branches are obliquely ascending and spread above the ground, evenly directed in all directions. The branches and shoots are dense, ascending and vertical. The needles are all needle-shaped, semi-pressed and protruding, bluish-green, and creamy when blooming.
