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Cupressaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Juniperus oxycedrus

Juniperus oxycedrus

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

Juniperus oxycedrus is largely restricted to regions with a Mediterranean climate, but in the Balkans and the Iberian Peninsula it may occur in more continental conditions. It requires warm to hot summers in order to thrive and dislikes moist to wet climates. The subspecies badia and oxycedrus are tolerant of frost, unlike the subspecies macrocarpa and transtagana, and have been known to survive temperatures falling to around -15°c for short periods[1, 2]. Requires an open, sunny position. Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil[3, 4] and succeeding on chalk[1]. A drought tolerant plant once established, succeeding in hot dry positions[1]. Prickly Juniper is suitable for cultivation as an ornamental in southern Europe where a number of cultivars, especially with more pendulous foliage, are commonly planted in gardens and parks[2] A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.

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[4]. 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[3]. Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/early autumn in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn[3, 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+oxycedrus>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]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.
  3. [3]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 ]).
  4. [4]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.
  5. [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. [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. [7]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  8. [8]European Atlas of Forest Tree Species — San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Dur · European Commission · 2016 · http://10.2788/038466 · ISBN 978-92-79-52833-0 ↩︎An excellent guide to the forest trees of Europe. It can be downloaded from the Internet
  9. [9]A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa — IUCN; Malaga, Spain · 2005 · ISBN 2-8317-0893-1 ↩︎A guide to over 100 species of medicinal herbs in N. Africa.
  10. [10]A Modern Herbal. — Grieve. · Penguin · 1984 · ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 ↩︎Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
  11. [11]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  12. [12]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.