Scaly juniper

Synonyms: Juniperus squamata var. fargesii Rehder & E.H. Wilson, Juniperus squamata Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don in Lambert, Juniperus densa (Carrière) Gordon, Juniperus franchetiana H.Lév. ex Kom, Juniperus recurva var. densa Carrière, Juniperus recurva var. squamata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Parl.Juniperus squamata var. hongxiensis Y.F.Yu & L.K.Fu, Juniperus squamata var. meyeri Rehder, Juniperus squamata var. parvifolia Y.F.Yu & L.K.Fu, Juniperus squamata var. prostrata Hornibr., Juniperus squamata f. prostrata (Hornibr.) Rehder, Juniperus squamata var. squamata , Sabina recurva var. densa (Carrière) Antoine, Sabina squamata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Antoine

Scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata Lamb.) – a species of plants of the genus Juniper (Juniperus) of the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It was first described in 1824 in the book «A Description of the Genus Pinus 2: 17.» by the English botanist Aylmer Bourke Lambert.

In nature it grows in Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, the Tibet Autonomous Region, Yunnan province [Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim]. Found in forests, thickets, valleys, and roadsides in mountainous areas. It rises in the mountains to an altitude of 1600-4500 m above sea level.

It is a dioecious, densely branched coniferous evergreen shrub 1.3-1.5 (10-15) m in height. Annual growth 3 cm. Crown irregularly conical in shape. Bark dark brown, peeling.

Leaves broad, needle-like, length 3-9 mm and 1-15 mm in width, very stiff and sharp, entirely concave, imbricate at the base, appressed to the shoot, then diverging from it, arranged in whorls of 3, ranging from dark green to silvery or bluish-green in color; a bright glaucous-white stripe is located on the underside, with white stomatal bands on the upper side. Old foliage remains on the shoots for several years.

Male cones ovoid in shape, 3-4 mm long. Microsporophylls 9-12, each with 3 pollen sacs. Cones globose to nearly ovoid, berry-like, 4-9 mm long and 4-6 mm in diameter, shiny, black, ripen the following year in May, consist of 3-6 scales and contain 1 seed. Seeds ovoid, 3.5-6 mm long and 2-5 mm wide, tuberculate, with numerous pits.

Subspecies:

• Juniperus squamata var. fargesii Rehder & E.H. Wilson = Juniperus squamata Lamb.
• Juniperus squamata var. hongxiensis Y.F. Yu & L.K. Fu
• Juniperus squamata var. meyeri Rehder
• Juniperus squamata var. morrisonicola (Hayata) H.L. Li & H. Keng (often treated as a separate species Juniperus morrisonicola Hayata.)
• Juniperus squamata var. parvifolia Y.F. Yu & L.K. Fu
• Juniperus squamata var. squamata
• Juniperus squamata fo. wilsonii Rehder = Juniperus pingii var. wilsonii (Rehder) Silba

Cultivars: 'Blue star', 'Loderii' (Juniperus pingii 'Loderi'), "Holger", "Meyeri".

Hardiness: 4-9 (-29°C)

Site: drought-tolerant, heat-loving, practically undemanding to soil, but prefers light, calcareous soils; resistant to smoke and air pollution.

Planting: recommended spacing between plants 0.5 or 1.2-2 m. Planting depth – 70 cm. Drainage if necessary: crushed brick or sand, layer 15-20 cm. Soil mixture: topsoil, peat and sand in the ratio 1:2:1. Poorly tolerates transplanting even with a root ball.

Care: in spring, in April-May apply nitroammophoska 30-40 g/m2. In a dry summer it is recommended to water the plant 2-3 times per season and to perform evening spraying once a week. Mulching with peat or sawdust in a layer of 5-8 cm.

Pruning: needs only sanitary pruning.

Diseases: rust (Arcerid (50 g per 10 l of water) spray 4 times at 10-day intervals), schütte, biatorellal and Nectria canker, alternaria, root cancer (Oligotrophus betheli).

Pests: aphids (Fitoverm (2 g per 1 l of water) spray 2 times at intervals of 10-14 days), leaf-mining moth (Decis (2.5 g per 10 l) spray 2 times at intervals of 10-14 days), spider mite (Karate (50 g per 10 l)), scale insects (carbofos (70 g per 10 l of water)), galls, sawfly, shoot moth, pine looper.

Propagation: seed germination 24%. Rooting of winter cuttings without treatment 60%.

Use: used in solitary and group plantings, for rock gardens, on streets, stony sites, in containers on roofs, for creating borders, on slopes.