Juniperus procumbens
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 A bonsai specimen of J. procumbens 'Nana'
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| Juniperus procumbens (Siebold ex Endl.) Miquel |
Juniperus procumbens is a low-growing shrubby juniper native to the southern coasts of Japan and the southern and western coasts of Korea. It is closely related to Juniperus chinensis, and is sometimes treated as a variety of it, as J. chinensis var. procumbens.
It is a prostrate plant, which usually grows between 20-30 cm tall, although sometimes as high as 70 cm; while it does not get very tall it can get quite wide, 2-4 m across or more. The branches tend to intertwine and form a dense mat. The leaves are arranged in decussate whorls of three; all the leaves are juvenile form, needle-like, 6-8 mm long and 1-1.5 mm broad, with two white stomatal bands on the inner face. The cones are berry-like, globose, 8-9 mm in diameter, dark blackish-brown with a pale blue-white waxy bloom, and contain two or three seeds (rarely one); they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 2-4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring. It is dioecious, producing cones of only one sex on each plant.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
It is a popular ornamental plant, used for ground cover in rockeries and as bonsai. Several cultivars have been selected. Popular cultivars include 'Green Mound', the most low growing type, which can reach widths of up to 2 m, and 'Nana', a very popular cultivar often made into bonsai, which does not grow as wide as 'Green Mound' and is more dwarfed. A variegated plant often sold under the name J. procumbens 'Variegata' is actually a cultivar of J. chinensis mis-named.
[edit] References
- Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Juniperus procumbens. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006.
- Adams, R. P. (2004). Junipers of the World: The genus Juniperus. Trafford Publishing ISBN 1-4120-4250-X
- Welch, H. & Haddow, G. (1993). The World Checklist of Conifers. ISBN 0-900513-09-8
- Gymnosperm Database: Juniperus procumbens
- Orgeon State University entry on J. procumbens
- University of Connecticut entry on J. procumbens
