Juniperus thurifera
Juniperus thurifera
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Juniperus thurifera requires hot summers if it is to thrive, and is not a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate short-lived temperatures down to around -8°c when fully dormant[1]. The climate in which it grows ranges from continental, semi-arid, with cold winters (in the Atlas Mountains) to continental-Mediterranean, with long dry summers[2]. Requires a sunny position and a well-drained soil[3]. In horticulture Spanish Juniper is virtually limited to botanic gardens and arboreta, mainly in southern Europe, but some specimens are grown or have been grown as far north as Ireland and the south of England[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[4, 5]. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process[6]. 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, 4]. Layering in September/early autumn. Takes 12 months[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Juniperus+thurifera>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]The Gymnosperm Database — http://www.conifers.org/index.htm ↩︎A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
- [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]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
- [4]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.
- [5]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.
- [6]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.
- [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 ]).
- [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎