Rigid juniper

An evergreen dioecious tree up to 8 m tall with a beautiful, dense columnar crown in male specimens and an open, sparse one in female specimens. Bark of the trunk dark brown, furrowed. Foliage yellow-green, sharp, very stiff, prickly, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long, in whorls of three needles. Grows slowly. At 30 years height 6.5 m, trunk diameter 10 cm. Light-demanding. Not demanding of soil fertility, can grow on the poorest soils. Frost-hardy. Deserves wide distribution, as it has a beautiful crown shape (especially male specimens), delicate foliage. In Europe in cultivation since 18b1. Propagated by seed and vegetatively.

Shrub, at 12 years height 2.0 m, crown diameter 130 cm. Vegetation from 7.V ± 8. Annual increment up to 12 cm. Pollen is shed from 25.V ± 5 to 3.VI ± 3, up to 10 days. Seed production from 9 years, berry-like cones ripen at the end of October - in November. Seeds are produced in small quantities. Propagated by seeds. Winter hardiness high. Drought-resistant. 100% of winter cuttings root without treatment.

Used for solitary plantings. Decorative forms not described. In Japan it is often planted near temples, especially its subspecies nipponica (Maxim.) Franco, which has a low-growing shrub form and denser foliage. In nature it grows in northern Japan, in the mountains. Known since 1915.