Chinese Juniper
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Scientific name: Juniperus chinensis
Common name(s): Chinese Juniper, 'Torulosa' Juniper
Height: 10-15 feet
Family: Cupressaceae
Group: Gymnosperm
Crown shape: Pyramidal. upright/erect
Growth rate: Moderate
Leaf: Green, scale-like, evergreen, fragrant and doesn't change appearance
Fruit: Blue, cone-like, hard covering and doesn't attract wildlife
Bark/branches: Stand straight up, green and thin, bark is brown, thin and peels
Where it grows: Found in majority of west coast and most of southern United States
Common name(s): Chinese Juniper, 'Torulosa' Juniper
Height: 10-15 feet
Family: Cupressaceae
Group: Gymnosperm
Crown shape: Pyramidal. upright/erect
Growth rate: Moderate
Leaf: Green, scale-like, evergreen, fragrant and doesn't change appearance
Fruit: Blue, cone-like, hard covering and doesn't attract wildlife
Bark/branches: Stand straight up, green and thin, bark is brown, thin and peels
Where it grows: Found in majority of west coast and most of southern United States
Current Research
Chinese Juniper is not so big in size growing no more than 15 feet (edis.ifas.ufl.edu). It takes about 15 years for this tree to reach it's full size. The manner this tree grows in is interesting. It's branches grow out straight and twist up and around. Another interesting fact about how this tree grows is that you will never see two junipers looking identical. It's scientific name is Juniperus Chinensis but is also referred to as Chinese Juniper or 'Torulosa" Juniper (edis.ifas.ufl.edu). This tree belongs to the Cupressaceae family. The Juniper is a gymnosperm tree which means it has naked seeds that do not produce flowers (plants.usda.gov). The fruit that grows from this tree are small round cones, smooth, bluish white that later turns brown (dendro.cnre.vt.edu).
Because this tree is small it grows at its best when in well-drained soil in full hot sun (missouribotanicalgarden.org). Air pollution does not affect how the Juniper grows. It can also tolerate drought, erosion, dry-soil and shallow-rocky soil. However, it is intolerable to water. Birds are drawn to Chinese Junipers, as well as deer. Their branches have interesting scale-like features that do not droop and stay a light green throughout the year (missouribotanicalgardens.org).
Because this tree is small it grows at its best when in well-drained soil in full hot sun (missouribotanicalgarden.org). Air pollution does not affect how the Juniper grows. It can also tolerate drought, erosion, dry-soil and shallow-rocky soil. However, it is intolerable to water. Birds are drawn to Chinese Junipers, as well as deer. Their branches have interesting scale-like features that do not droop and stay a light green throughout the year (missouribotanicalgardens.org).
Creative Writing
This tree isn't so large in size. The tree is able to grow relatively the same height as 2 average sized refrigerators placed on top of one another. The leaves resemble the same appearance as a lizard, and as they fall and are taken up by the wind it looks as though a small reptile is crawling leaping and lunging in all directions. The leaves almost seem scale-like coming straight out of a thin green branch. An interesting fact that was discovered was that the leaves never change color; they remain green all year. The fruit that is produced by this tree look like small, ripe, juicy blueberries. The bark is a brown-reddish color that peels as though its skin received a sunburn. If you look on a map of the US, a Chinese Juniper grows in a U-shaped line along the west and southern coasts of the United States.
References
- Gilman, E. F., & Watson D. G. (1993). Juniperus chinensis: 'Torlusa': 'Torlusa' Juniper. University of Florida IFAS Extension, 481. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st322.
- Jensen, E., Niemiera, A., Peterson, J., & Seiler, J. (2012). Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, 292. Retrieved from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=292.
- Missouri Botanical Garden. Juniperus chinensis 'Ketelerri'. Retrieved from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d610.
- United States Department of Agriculture-National Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=JUCH4.