Juniper is an extremely beautiful and quite ancient plant. It appeared on our planet 50 million years ago. The range of juniper covers subtropical, temperate and even subpolar regions of the Earth. It grows both on plains and on the tops of low mountains and ridges.

Today, botanists count about 70 species and varieties of this plant. We will focus our attention on only one of them - this is the Cossack juniper. A description, a list of varieties, as well as tips on planting and caring for it can be found in this article.

Meet juniper!

Juniper is an ancient coniferous plant from the cypress family, which appeared on our planet about 50 million years ago. There are a huge number of its types and forms. Some of them reach a height of 20-30 meters. Others spread along the ground, rising just a couple of tens of centimeters above its surface.

Today, Cossack juniper is most often used in artificial landscaping. This plant is planted in parks and gardens, in private and public areas. With its help, lawns, rocky slopes and “Vietnamese slides” are successfully decorated. Thanks to the rooting of individual branches, juniper very quickly grows in width, forming dense and beautiful thickets. The species has been known in cultural gardening since the end of the 16th century.

Cossack juniper: general description of the plant

The Latin name of the species is Juniperus sabina. This is a dioecious creeping plant up to one and a half meters in height. Most often - in the form of a bush, although there are small trees (3-4 meters high) with curved thin trunks. The bark is brown or red, with obvious signs of peeling.

Cossack juniper is mentioned in the works of the ancient Greek scientist Dioscorides. There is also a legend about a certain harlot Sabina (hence the name of the plant), who used the poison sabinol, found in juniper berries, as a means of getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy. Later, other women resorted to this method. By the way, juniper is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. Poisoning from its berries can lead to severe convulsions, paralysis and even death. Not only the berries, but also the shoots of this plant are poisonous.

The needles of mature juniper are scaly, their structure resembles tiles. When rubbed, it releases a powerful and rather pungent odor. The fruits of the plant are juicy oval-shaped cones, black in color and with a bluish bloom.

Species distribution and habitat

As a rule, in nature, Cossack juniper grows at absolute altitudes from 1000 to 3000 meters. The species is widespread in Southern and Central Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, Siberia, the Caucasus, Primorye and Crimea. Its natural habitats include limestone slopes, bare mountain slopes and sand dunes.

The plant is light-loving, frost-resistant and not particularly demanding on soil. Tolerates long dry periods well. Juniper survives even at very low temperatures (down to -40 degrees Celsius). It is resistant to excessive air pollution, so it is often used in landscaping industrial sites and dusty city streets.

Beneficial properties of juniper

Like many other coniferous plants, juniper has useful (medicinal) properties. First of all, it enriches the air with oxygen and phytoncides. Thanks to this, the space around the bushes becomes clean from harmful bacteria. This property, by the way, was noticed by our ancient ancestors. However, they interpreted it in their own way, using juniper as a weapon against evil spirits.

North American Indians used branches of this plant to treat wounds and skin ailments. Ukrainian Cossacks used juniper needles to get rid of hangovers. To do this, they simply laid the young man who had abused alcohol in the juniper thickets. But in Ancient Rus' they noticed that this plant protects people from snakes.

Cossack juniper shoots contain essential oil, which helps protect woolen products from moths. In addition, it is also used as an effective remedy for warts. An ointment based on juniper is used to treat purulent ulcers on the body; it is also rubbed into the scalp for baldness.

Juníperus sabina and its varieties

The type of Cossack juniper has over two dozen varieties. All of them differ from each other only in the shape of the bush and the shade of the needles. The most popular varieties of Cossack juniper in modern landscape design:

• Tamariscifolia.
• Variegata.
• Erecta.
• Mass.
• Blue Danube.
• Glauka.

Juniper Cossack Variegata is a low-growing, creeping form that rarely exceeds 0.5 meters in height. The crown is very dense and adheres to the ground. The needles have an excellent disinfecting effect - there are practically no insects near the plant. The Variegata variety needs plenty of sunlight. It looks ideal in various container compositions, and is also used in the formation of rockeries and rock gardens.

Cossack juniper Glauka is a spreading and rather large shrub, often reaching one and a half meters in height. It grows very quickly and has spiny green needles. In general, this is an unpretentious and resistant to various pollutants variety, which, however, loves sunny places.

Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia (or simply Tamaris) is a low shrub, not exceeding one meter in height. The crown resembles a dome and reaches 1.5-2 meters in diameter. The needles are predominantly bluish or pale green. This variety is ideal for landscaping ravines and loose rocky slopes. It is highly resistant to air pollution, and therefore is often planted along busy roads.

Juniper propagation methods

The most common juniper in landscaping, Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia, reproduces in three ways (as, indeed, all other species and varieties of this plant):

• Cuttings.
• By layering.
• Seeds.

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Propagation of Cossack juniper by cuttings is the most effective way. And spring (April-May) is the optimal period for this event. Cuttings from perennial bushes, as a rule, take root much faster (up to 40 days). The ideal temperature for rooting is +16…20 degrees. Subsequently, the rooted juniper cuttings are planted in separate pots for growing. No earlier than two years later they can be planted in open ground.

Perhaps the easiest way to propagate juniper is to use layering. How does this happen? A branch of the bush is bent, a small cut is made and sprinkled with earth. Then the area is lightly watered. This procedure is usually done in the spring, and in the fall the mother branch is cut off, and the young bush is transplanted to a new place.

The seed propagation method is the most troublesome and time-consuming. In autumn, the seeds are placed in small boxes with soil. For the winter, these boxes are taken outside and stored under the snow until spring. In April, juniper seeds overwintered in this way are sown in prepared beds.

Important point! The optimal soil acidity for planting juniper is 4.5-7 pH.

Cossack juniper: plant care

As mentioned above, juniper is an unpretentious plant. Here are the basic rules for caring for this bush:

• During periods of prolonged heat and drought, juniper should be watered especially intensively.
• It is important to feed young bushes with fertilizers for coniferous plants.
• When planting juniper in open ground, it is recommended to liming the soil.
• The soil around the bushes must be periodically loosened and mulched (with peat or sawdust).
• During heavy snowfalls, it is recommended to shake off the snow from juniper branches in order to avoid damage to the plants.

Pruning juniper bushes

In general, Cossack juniper practically does not need pruning. The only thing that needs to be done is to cut out dry and damaged branches.

As a rule, it is carried out in cases where the bushes need to be given a certain shape. This procedure is performed no earlier than in the second or third year of the plant’s life, in April or September. It is best to work with gloves to avoid contact with juniper poison. You can form bushes in bonsai style, coordinating the growth of branches in one direction or another.

Is juniper in the garden a dangerous neighbor?

When planning your own garden, you should be sure to check all plants for compatibility with each other. For example, Cossack juniper should not be planted next to pear, apple, quince trees, currant bushes, gooseberries or roses. After all, it can infect all of the above plants with so-called rust. This disease is caused by a special fungus of the genus Gymnosporangium and appears in the form of large orange spots and growths on leaves and branches.

It is juniper that promotes the spread of rust. Moreover, this happens quite quickly, because several billion harmful spores can ripen on one diseased plant at once. To prevent plants in your garden from becoming infected, it is necessary to regularly carry out a number of preventive measures. Thus, it is recommended to treat trees and bushes (in late spring) with a urea solution. You also need to periodically inspect your garden: juniper branches affected by rust must be cut off and burned.

It is important to note that juniper in the garden is best combined with heather, bulbous and other coniferous plants.

I first saw the variegated form of Cossack juniper in Bulgaria, where I was vacationing with my family at that time. There were many interesting plants growing near the hotel, beautifully combined with each other. It was clear that the landscape designers had put a lot of effort into it.

The common Cossack juniper has been growing for me for several years and I am very familiar with it, but I met Variegata for the first time. I was interested in the colorful outfit of this juniper and how attractive it looked in the overall landscape composition.

The juniper was quite large, but still somewhat smaller than its ordinary counterparts. Later I found out that this is the norm. Cossack juniper Variegata is a dwarf form of the common Cossack juniper. But this should not be misleading, although he is a dwarf, he is not a baby. The crown circumference of an adult plant can reach one and a half meters, and the height is about a meter. True, this will not happen quickly because it grows more slowly than its non-variegated counterpart.

I wanted such a juniper for my collection so much that I sat down to study the assortment of garden stores and already had my eye on a juniper for the purchase that I planned upon returning to Moscow. But I didn't have to buy it.

While talking with the gardener caring for the plants on the hotel grounds, I asked about the peculiarities of caring for the Cossack juniper Variegata. At first, the gardener joked that this was not a separate variety of juniper, but the result of the activity of seagulls, of which a huge number actually circled there, and they left their traces. But he laughed and told me everything he knew about this plant.

It turned out that there are no difficulties in care. This plant is completely unpretentious and does not cause any trouble. Moreover, it also reproduces easily. To prove his words, the gardener cut me a sprig of juniper (the branch from the trunk must be cut with a heel) and ordered me to put it in water, and during the flight, wrap it in a damp cloth and a plastic bag. Then there are two options: either wait for the roots to form in water, or immediately plant them in a mixture of sand and soil under a film.

This was at the end of May. I preferred to immediately plant the plant in the ground. I planted it immediately in a permanent place and did not replant it later. I watered the planted twig with Kornevin and covered it with a large plastic bottle with the bottom cut out and the lid unscrewed.

My branch remained in this form until the spring of next year. After which it became clear that it had taken root and had already sprouted new shoots. And a year later, a nice bush began to form from the twig.

This is what a present from Bulgaria looks like now.

Caring for Cossack juniper Variegata is not difficult. I feed it once a season with fertilizer for conifers, water it as needed along with all the plants. I don’t cover it for the winter. In spring there is also no need to cover from the sun, the needles do not burn.

It grows in a sunny place where there is no shade at all. He seems to really like this place. You can see this in the paint. The color of the needles of the Variegata juniper is dark green with creamy variegated strokes located randomly throughout the crown. In the shade, the color of the needles may lose its decorative effect, but the place I chose is just what I need.

The Cossack juniper Variegata grows quite slowly, but has already turned from a twig into a nice bush. I think that for small areas its slow growth will be an advantage.

A low-growing plant with a cushion-shaped crown, the branches of which spread out to the sides from the middle of the bush - this is the Andorra Variegata horizontal juniper.
It has interestingly colored needles, the color of which changes closer to the tips from silvery green to a soft creamy shade. The needles themselves are tightly pressed to the branches, thin and short. By autumn, the Andorra Variegata juniper acquires a violet-purple color, which persists with the arrival of the winter months.

The Andorra juniper variety is intended for decorating landscapes, gardens, and English slides.

The standard bush has the following parameters:

• The height of the plant is no more than half a meter, and the width of the shrub can grow up to two meters in a row.
• The Andorra Variegata juniper grows quite slowly, adding about ten centimeters per year. For example, the parameters of a ten-year-old shrub are as follows: height 30–40 cm, diameter about seventy cm.
• The fruits of the plant are small, grayish-whitish, resembling small berries - cones that are not easy to see in the thickness of the needles.

Requirements for maintenance and care

To get a beautiful spreading bush, an amateur gardener needs to take into account these simple subtleties:

Peculiarities of propagation of horizontal juniper Andorra Variegata

This shrub reproduces by cuttings; when planting seeds, the chances of obtaining viable shoots whose appearance corresponds to the varietal characteristics are extremely small.

Before propagating juniper by cuttings, you need to take into account several subtleties.

Variety variety - Andorra Compact

In addition to the standard one, there is such a type of shrub as the horizontal juniper Andorra Compact, the length of the bush is about 0.35 - 0.4 meters. Its crown also has a cushion shape, its diameter reaches no more than 100 centimeters.

The requirements for growing a crop such as Andorra Compact juniper are similar to those for a standard Andorra variety plant.

The needles of the plant are uniformly colored greenish-brown; by the autumn-winter period, their color turns into rich shades of lilac-purple.

Unlike Andorra Variegata, the horizontal juniper Andorra Compact thrives both in sunny and medium shade conditions.

To summarize the above

As you know, the juniper bush is a wonderful decoration for any garden, plot, or other landscape. But the benefit of juniper also lies in its subtle, bright aroma.

Oils made from fruits and wood are actively used in aromatherapy and can relieve a person of bad mood, fatigue, depression, laziness, and unconscious fears. You can use juniper oil either in an aroma lamp or by adding a few drops to a bath or inhaler.

If we talk about the medical properties of juniper oil, then it is used for diseases of the genitourinary spectrum, gastrointestinal ailments, menstrual pain, and for the removal of kidney stones. Used as compresses, this oil helps increase the elasticity of ligaments and tendons, reduces pain from injuries, sprains, and arthritis.

Juniper oils are also actively used in the treatment of skin ailments: eczema, dermatitis, purulent acne, and symptoms of scabies. In addition, juniper wood oil has high antiseptic and analgesic properties. Lots of useful information in the article:

(Juniperus virginiana Hetz)

Juniperus virginiana Hetz is attractive with its spreading crown shape, gray-blue needles and a large number of spherical dark blue cones. Tolerates haircuts well. In especially snowy winters it can be broken by the weight of the snow cover, so it is recommended to tie the branches for the winter. It develops normally both in the sun and in partial shade. Does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. In landscape design it is used in rocky gardens, in single and group plantings.

(Juniperus horizontalis Icee Blue)

Juniper horizontalis Ice Blue is an evergreen shrub with long creeping shoots forming a bluish-green carpet. The growth rate is slow. Drought resistant. Grows equally well in sun and partial shade. Winter-hardy. The plant is used as a ground cover, as well as in rock gardens and rocky slopes.

(Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compact)

Juniper horizontal Andorra Compact has a creeping form. Prefers fairly moist soils, but without stagnant water. Frost-resistant, light-loving. The growth rate is slow. Used in small gardens in group plantings, as well as in rock gardens and rockeries.

(Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compacta Variegata)

Juniper horizontal Andorra Compacta Variegata is an evergreen shrub with variegated needles. It is not picky about soil composition, light-loving, and frost-resistant. Looks great in composition with low-growing coniferous plants.

(Juniperus horizontalis Blue Forest)

Juniper horizontal Blue Forest is a creeping form with vertically raised shoots. It grows slowly. Unpretentious to soils. Prefers a sunny planting location or light partial shade. Has high winter hardiness. Despite this, shelter for the winter is recommended due to the fragility of the shoots from the weight of the snow. Looks great in rock gardens, rockeries and heather compositions.

(Juniperus horisontalis Blue Chip)

Juniper horizontalis Blue Chip is a creeping coniferous shrub that forms a dense carpet. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant, light-loving. Does not tolerate severe waterlogging. Looks great in rocky and heather gardens.

(Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii)

Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii can be grown as a ground cover plant or on vertical supports. This juniper is perfect for decorating slopes, ledges, and terraces. Photophilous, tolerates light partial shade, frost-resistant.

(Juniperus horizontalis Limeglow)

Limeglow horizontal juniper has golden-yellow needles that are not afraid of sunburn in the spring. Grows well in all types of soil. Frost-resistant. It is resistant to diseases and pests. Looks great in rocky gardens.

(Juniperus horizontalis Prince of Wales)

Juniper horizontalis Prince of Wales is a slow-growing coniferous shrub. Its crown is so dense that entire juniper lawns can be created using this species. Frost-resistant, shade-tolerant. In landscape design, this variety is popular as a ground cover plant for planting in rocky gardens, for creating juniper cover in the lower tiers of tree and shrub compositions.

(Juniperus sabina)

Cossack juniper is capable of growing in width. Grows on all types of soils. Photophilous, drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Easily tolerates pruning. Decorative throughout the year. Suitable for planting in urban areas. Recommended for single and group plantings.

(Juniperus sabina Blaue Donau)

Juniper Cossack Blau Donau is a coniferous shrub with a wide, fire-like crown. Photophilous, frost-hardy. Resistant to urban conditions. Does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Recommended for large gardens and urban landscaping.

(Juniperus sabina Variegata)

Juniper Cossack Variegata is a dwarf variety of juniper with an original variegated color. It grows slowly. Photophilous, frost-hardy. Prefers sunny planting sites; in the shade the needles lose their decorative properties. Resistant to polluted urban conditions. Recommended for single and group plantings.

(Juniperus sabina Glauca)

Juniper Cossack Glauka is characterized by the ability to grow greatly in width and cover large areas. Grows on any soil. At a young age it grows slowly, then develops faster. Frost-resistant, light-loving, resistant to urban conditions. Recommended for strengthening slopes, landscaping cities and residential areas.

(Juniperus sabina Mas)

Juniper Cossack Mas is a frost-resistant coniferous shrub. It grows quite quickly in width. It is not picky about soils, but does not tolerate waterlogging. Prefers sunny planting locations or light partial shade. Decorative in single and group plantings in rocky gardens.

(Juniperus sabina Rockery Gem)

Cossack juniper Rockery Jam is a rather low coniferous shrub with a spread-out crown shape. The growth rate is fast. Prefers fertile and moist soils. Frost-resistant and light-loving. Used as a ground cover plant for alpine landscapes.

(Juniperus sabina Tamariscifolia)

Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia is widely used in landscape design. The growth rate is slow. Photophilous, frost-resistant and drought-resistant. Susceptible to rust and sawfly. Prefers a sunny planting location. Looks great in single and group plantings. Used to decorate rocky and heather gardens.

(Juniperus sabina Hicksii)

Cossack juniper Hixie is a coniferous shrub with a wide-spread crown. The growth rate is fast. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. Unpretentious to soils. Frost-resistant. Feels great in urban conditions. Used in alnaria and rockeries.

(Juniperus chinensis Blaauw)

Chinese juniper Blauw is a coniferous shrub with a dense crown and bonfire-shaped branches. The growth rate is slow. Not picky about soil composition, frost-resistant, light-loving, drought-resistant. Susceptible to rust and sawfly. Used in single and group plantings.

(Juniperus chinensis Blue Alps)

Chinese juniper Blue Alps is a fairly large coniferous shrub with silver-blue needles. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant, light-loving. Not picky about soil fertility. Used in compositions with other coniferous plants, goes well with large rose bushes.

(Juniperus chinensis Ketelerii)

Chinese juniper Keteleri is a narrow-columnar coniferous tree. Grows moderately quickly. Light-loving, tolerates partial shade, suitable for growing in urban conditions, frost-resistant. Low demands on soil fertility and moisture. Used singly, in groups, hedges.

(Juniperus chinensis Kuriwao Gold)

Chinese juniper Kurivao Gold is a medium-sized coniferous shrub with an unusual crown shape. It is not picky about soil fertility, prefers sunny planting locations, and is frost-resistant. During dry periods, sprinkling is necessary. This variety of juniper is widely used by landscape designers when landscaping Japanese-style gardens. The shrub also looks great in rocky gardens.

(Juniperus chinensis Obelisk)

Chinese juniper Obelisk is a vigorous coniferous shrub, reaching three meters in height. The growth rate is fast. It remains decorative only in well-lit areas. Winter-hardy, undemanding to soils. Suitable for creating low alleys, as well as for use in rocky and heather gardens.

(Juniperus chinensis Plumosa Aurea)

Chinese juniper Plumosa Aurea is recognized as one of the best varieties with yellow colored needles. Light-loving, undemanding to soil composition. At a young age, it requires shelter in harsh winters, but over the years it becomes more frost-resistant. Burning in the spring sun. Used in group plantings, to create decorative tree and shrub groups, landscaping rockeries, rocky slopes.

(Juniperus chinensis Spartan)

Chinese juniper Spartan is a fast-growing variety, reaching three meters in height by the age of ten. Grows on any soil. Photophilous, wind-resistant, winter-hardy. In the shade it loses its decorative appearance, so its planting location should be sunny. May burn in the spring sun. Serves as a wonderful background for roses. It is used for landscaping rocky and heather gardens in single and group plantings.

(Juniperus chinensis Stricta)

Chinese juniper Stricta is a shrub with a narrow-nosed crown. It is unpretentious to growing conditions, undemanding to soil composition, and frost-resistant. Prefers sunny places for planting. Suitable for growing in containers. Looks great in heather gardens and rocky compositions.

(Juniperus chinensis Expansa Variegata)

Chinese juniper Expansa Variegata is one of the variegated varieties of juniper with numerous inclusions of soft cream color. The growth rate is slow. Unpretentious. Photophilous, frost-resistant, drought-resistant. Can be an excellent decoration for rocky gardens and oriental style gardens.

(Juniperus procumbens Nana)

Juniper recumbent Nana is a beautiful creeping variety of juniper with a very dense crown, forming a beautiful uniform carpet. Prefers moist, well-drained soils. Frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting location. Used as a ground cover plant and in the art of bonsai.

(Juniperus communis Arnold)

Juniperus common Arnold has a narrow columnar crown shape and low growth. Photophilous and frost-hardy. It grows slowly. Requires regular spraying during dry periods. Perfect for decorating an alpine hill, rocky, heather or Japanese garden, hedge.

(Juniperus communis Gold Cone)

Common juniper Gold Con has a columnar crown shape, turning into a cone at the very top. Its golden-yellow needles take on a bronze hue by winter. It grows slowly. Sun-loving and frost-hardy. Does not tolerate stagnant water in the soil. Does not tolerate transplantation well in adulthood. Burning in the spring sun. It is sensitive to snow pressure, so in winter it is recommended to tie the shoots to prevent them from bending. It is used in landscaping city parks and country gardens in single and group plantings.

(Juniperus communis Green Carpet)

Common juniper Green Carpet is a ground cover coniferous shrub. Its shoots creeping along the ground form a dense bluish-green carpet. The growth rate is average. Grows equally well in sunny and semi-shady places. Frost-resistant. Does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. An excellent choice for planting in rocky gardens and on slopes.

(Juniperus communis Meyer)

Common juniper Meyer is a tall coniferous shrub with a wide columnar crown. Thanks to its multi-vertical structure, this juniper variety looks fluffy. Grows well in sun and partial shade. It burns a little in the spring. Frost-resistant. It is undemanding to moisture and soil composition. Tolerates haircuts well. Used in rocky gardens, group or single plantings.

(Juniperus communis repanda)

Common juniper Repanda is a ground cover coniferous shrub with incredibly fluffy needles. Undemanding to soils. Light-loving, but tolerates light partial shade. Frost-resistant. During dry periods it requires artificial irrigation. An excellent choice for planting in rock gardens and on slopes.

(Juniperus communis Suecica)

Common juniper Suetsica is a dense coniferous shrub with a slender columnar crown shape. The growth rate is slow. The variety is unpretentious and frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting site; in the shade it becomes loose and spreading. Tolerates pruning well. Its slender shape allows you to create vertical lines in garden compositions. Widely used in single plantings and in groups.

(Juniperus communis Hibernica)

Common juniper Hibernika is a small coniferous tree with a dense columnar crown reminiscent of cypress. The growth rate is slow. It is undemanding to soil fertility. Light-loving, but suffers from spring sunburn. Drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Looks great in single and group plantings on the lawn, in small compositions.

(Juniperus conferta Schlager)

Coastal juniper Shlyager is a dwarf shrub with creeping shoots and very beautiful needles. The growth rate is slow. Shade-tolerant, but it is preferable to plant the plant in the sun. Looks great on rocky hills, in rockeries, in compositions with shrubs and herbaceous perennials.

(Juniperus scopulorum Blue Arrow)

Rock juniper Blue Arrow is a slow-growing coniferous shrub that forms a bright blue vertical in garden compositions. Thanks to its narrow crown, Blue Arrow juniper can be used in almost any garden, even in small gardens. Prefers sunny planting locations. It is frost-resistant, but in severe winters young shoots may freeze. In landscape design, the use of this type of juniper is very diverse. It is used in alley plantings, hedges, and also in compositions with other trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.

(Juniperus scopulorum Moonglow)

Juniper rock Moonglow is a pyramidal shrub with a wide silver-blue crown. Prefers a sunny planting location. Not picky about soil, drought-resistant. The variety is average in winter hardiness. Requires fixation of branches for the winter to avoid breaks and shelter from spring sunburn. Used as a vertical element in compositions, suitable for creating hedges.

(Juniperus scopulorum Skyrocket)

Rock juniper Skyrocket has a slender blue-green crown. The plant is light-loving, but tolerates partial shade. Frost resistance is average. Prefers dry soils. The growth rate is fast. In snowy winters, the crown cannot be broken, so gartering for the winter is recommended. Looks good in group plantings and in tree and shrub compositions.

(Juniperus chinensis (media) Pfitzeriana Aurea)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Aurea is a coniferous shrub with a wide, spreading crown. Unpretentious to soil composition. Resistant to urban conditions. Has high frost resistance. Prefers a sunny planting location. It grows wide, so it is not suitable for small rockeries or rock gardens. Used as a lower tier in large landscape parks and compositions.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Glauca)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Glauka is a large coniferous shrub with a spreading crown. Grows relatively slowly. Unpretentious to soil composition. Shade-tolerant, but it is preferable to plant the plant in the sun. Frost-resistant. Used in large gardens and city parks.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Gold Coast)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Gold Coast has a wide, spreading crown. Prefers a sunny planting site; in the shade the needles lose their golden-yellow color. Tolerates city conditions well. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant. Excellent as a tapeworm against the background of lawn grass.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Gold Star)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Gold Star is a coniferous shrub with a spreading crown. The growth rate is average. Photophilous, frost-hardy. Used in single and group plantings on rocky hills and lawns. Can be used as a tapeworm, as well as in various decorative groups.

(Juniper media pfitzeriana Goldkissen)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Goldkissen is a slow-growing coniferous shrub. It becomes especially decorative in spring and early summer, when its needles acquire a golden color. Winter-hardy, drought-resistant, light-loving. Pairs well with decorative cereals and roses. Resistant to urban conditions. Used in group and single plantings, in landscape compositions.

(Juniperus pfitzeriana King of Spring)

Juniper Pfitzeriana King of Spring is a branched coniferous shrub that has the brightest spring color among the yellow-colored varieties. It grows slowly. Unpretentious, drought-resistant, frost-resistant. Tolerant to urban conditions. Looks great on rocky hills, rockeries, in compositions with shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Pfitzeriana Compacta)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Compacta is a coniferous shrub with a beautiful, open, dense crown of gray-green color with gracefully hanging tops. Low demands on soil fertility. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. It does not tolerate dry air, so additional sprinkling is recommended during dry periods. Shade-tolerant. Frost-resistant. Used in rocky gardens, in compositions with ornamental shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Mint Julep)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Mint Julep is one of the most popular varieties of juniper in landscape design. It has a very bright green needle color that does not fade in winter. The shrub is unpretentious and grows quite quickly. There is no need to worry about its large size, as this is one of those juniper varieties that tolerate pruning well. The plant is also interesting because it can be modeled and molded. The height and width of the plant can be changed - for example, by pinning branches to the ground, the bush will become more spread out and low, and by creating a vertical support for it, it will begin to develop upward. Prefers a sunny or semi-shade planting location. Frost-resistant. It goes well with barberries, rhododendron, cotoneaster, dogwood and conifers. A wonderful plant for any garden.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Mordigan Gold)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Mordigan Gold is a low-growing spreading shrub with horizontally arranged shoots. The growth rate is slow. Frost-resistant. Prefers well-drained soils and sunny planting locations. Perfect for single and group plantings, rock gardens, rocky hills, and shrub compositions.

(Juniperus media pfitzeriana Old Gold)

Juniper Pfitzeriana Old Gold is a slow-growing coniferous shrub with a dense yellow-green crown. Not picky about soil fertility. Prefers a sunny planting location or partial shade. Frost-resistant. Recommended for single and group plantings in rockeries, for use in tree and shrub compositions.

(Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet)

Juniper scaly Blue Carpet is a blue ground cover shrub. Frost-resistant. Prefers a sunny planting location. Does not tolerate waterlogged soil. Resistant to urban conditions. Tolerates haircuts well. One of the most spectacular varieties used in gardening and landscape design. Used as a ground cover plant on slopes and retaining walls. Suitable for container growing.

(Juniperus squamata Blue Star)

Juniper scaly Blue Star is a dwarf coniferous shrub with a cushion-shaped crown. Its needles are almost blue in color, and the pattern created by the needles resembles blue stars. It grows slowly. Not picky about soil composition. It grows slowly. Photophilous and frost-hardy. Recommended for single and group plantings, for rocky gardens, alpine slides, heather gardens, and for decorating slopes.

(Juniperus squamata Meyeri)

Juniper scaly Meyeri is a low-growing coniferous shrub, although when favorable conditions are created it can reach three meters in height. Photophilous and frost-hardy. Does not tolerate stagnant waterlogging. In especially snowy winters, the crown is likely to break, so planting in places where snow piles are possible is not recommended. The growth rate is slow. Looks great in single and group plantings, rocky gardens, rock gardens, and heather landscapes.

(Juniperus squamata Holger)

Juniper scaly Holger has a very interesting color of needles - whitish-blue. Young shoots have a golden hue. The growth rate is moderately fast. Shade-tolerant. Frost-resistant. Like all junipers, it does not tolerate stagnant waterlogging. Resistant to urban conditions. Used in single and group plantings.

Cossack juniper has more than 20 varieties, differing in the shape and color of the needles. Some of them, barely rising, spread along the ground, others form lush thickets taller than human height. The following cultivars are most valued by gardeners and landscape designers.

Cossack juniper "Blue Danub"

Cossack juniper variety "Rockery Jam"

Cossack juniper “Rockery Gem” (Juniperus Sabina Rockery Gem) is a dwarf, creeping form with a dense, dense, widely spread crown of an asymmetrical shape. The height of shrubs of this variety reaches 50 cm, while the crown diameter varies from 2.5 to 3.5 m. It grows slowly, the growth does not exceed 8-10 cm per year. The skeletal branches are powerful, thick, strongly branched at the ends, and grow unevenly. In young trees, the branches extend from the center of the bush at an acute angle upward, and with age they lie horizontally.

The needles of plants of the Rockery Jam variety are thick, prickly, and rich, blue-green in color. In the center of the crown the needles are needle-shaped, on the periphery they are scale-like. The shade of young growth differs little from the needles on last year's branches.

The Rockery Jam cultivar is undemanding when it comes to soils and grows well in both nutritious garden soils and depleted soils. Pruning is only required if horizontal growth needs to be stopped.

Due to its frost resistance and shade tolerance, the creeping form of the Rockery Jam juniper is widely used in landscape design as a ground cover plant for the design of alpine slides, retaining walls, rocky slopes, heather and Japanese gardens, and walking paths.

Juniper Cossack "Tamariscifolia" or "Tamaris"

Cossack juniper "Tamariscifolia" (Juniperus Sabina Tamariscifolia), sometimes called Cossack juniper "Tamaris", is a low, evergreen shrub, reaching 1 m in height with a crown diameter of up to 2 m. Short shoots are overlapping and grow vertically upward, with age the form is prostrate the crown becomes dome-shaped.

The needles are predominantly needle-shaped, slightly curved, pale green or bluish-green, with a white stripe running along the upper plane. One whorl contains three needles. The “Tamariscifolia” form is drought- and frost-resistant, tolerates the climate of central and northern Russia well, is resistant to smoke and air pollution, and is not demanding on soils: it grows well in both acidic and alkaline areas.

The only disadvantage of the Tamaris variety is its high susceptibility to fungal diseases, especially during periods of prolonged rains. This cultivar can be planted in rock gardens, rockeries or as a single plant on the lawn. Tamariscifolia is widely used for landscaping ravines and as a container crop. It grows well on loose sandy and rocky slopes and wide curbs along roads.

Remember that the needles and fruits of the Tamariscifolia form are poisonous, so it is not recommended to plant plants of this variety near children's playgrounds.

Creeping Cossack juniper "Variegata"

Cossack juniper “Variegata” (Juniperus Sabina Variegata) is a creeping form, reaching a height of no more than 50 cm. The dense, semi-spreading crown lies low to the ground and extends to 1.5 m. The “Variegata” variety, a photo of which you can see in the photo gallery below on this page, sometimes called "variegated juniper" due to its frequent flecks of creamy color.