Sargent's Juniper

Family Cupressaceae. Native range: Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Hokkaido, Primorye (eastern part of the Sikhote-Alin). Grows on rocks.

A creeping dioecious shrub. Shoots are long, arranged horizontally, covered with light-green foliage/needles. At 10–15 years of age reaches 0.5 m in height. Mature plants reach up to 0.8 m in height and a crown diameter of 2 - 3 m. The foliage is only scaly, small, bluish-green, on young shoots light green. In winter the foliage does not brown. The berries are dark blue or black, 5-7 mm in diameter, with 2-3 almost triangular seeds. Roots are deep, located at a depth of 2 m. Grows on poor soils. Drought-tolerant. Frost-hardy. Propagated by seeds and cuttings (80%).

Shrub, at 15 years 0.4 m in height, crown diameter 35 cm. Vegetation from 28.IV ± 9. Annual increment 0.5 cm. Does not shed pollen. Winter hardiness high. Drought-tolerant. Winter cuttings treated with a 0.01%-solution of IMK for 24 h did not root.

Three ornamental forms are described:

"Виридис" ("Viridis"). Very similar to Sargent's juniper, but the foliage is light green. Entered cultivation in Boscop in 1940. Used in rock gardens; planted singly and in groups, sometimes forming mats that replace a lawn.

"Глаука" ("Glauca"). The foliage is blue, shoots thin, feathery. Grows better than the original species. In cultivation since 1940 in Boscop.

"Компакта" ("Compacta"). A low-growing shrub with scaly light-green foliage; the needle-like foliage, by contrast, is dark green, and at the tips bluish-green. Known in California since 1950.