Juniperus flaccida
Juniperus flaccida
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Juniperus flaccida grows mainly in regions with hot summers, mild winters and low to medium rainfall. Where it grows in the Chisos Mountains of Mexico, for example, mean annual precipitation ranges from 220 - 680mm, with most falling in the warmer part of the year; temperatures rarely fall as low as freezing; and summer temperatures routinely exceed 40°c[1]. It succeeds outdoors in the milder regions of the temperate zone, where it has been known to tolerate short-lived temperatures down to around -8°c[2], and has been grown outdoors successfully in the moister, maritime climate of southwestern England[3]. Requires a sunny, sheltered position, Found in the wild in dry to moist, well-drained, rocky soils and slopes[4]. Established plants are very drought tolerant. Drooping juniper is planted as an ornamental outside of its native range in the United States and in southern Europe and northern Africa[1] A slow-growing but long-lived plant[1]. Large seed crops are produced every 2 to 3 years, with light crops produced in intervening years[1].
Propagation
The seed requires a period of cold stratification. The seed has a hard seedcoat and can be very slow to germinate, requiring a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each of 2 - 3 months duration[5, 6]. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process[3]. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some might germinate in the following spring, though most will take another year. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seedcoat has hardened). The seedlings can be potted up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on in pots until large enough, then plant out in early summer. When stored dry, the seed can remain viable for several years[7]. Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/early autumn in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn[7, 5]. Layering in September/early autumn. Takes 12 months[5]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Juniperus+flaccida>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
- [2]The Gymnosperm Database — http://www.conifers.org/index.htm ↩︎A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
- [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
- [4]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
- [5]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
- [6]Conifers. — Rushforth. K. · Christopher Helm · 1987 · ISBN 0-7470-2801-X ↩︎Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.
- [7]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [8]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.