Herb: Shore Juniper


Latin name: Juniperus conferta


Synonyms: Juniperus littoralis


Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)



Edible parts of Shore Juniper:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The cones are about 8 - 10mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
15 cm
(6 inches)

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy seashores all over Japan.

Other uses of Shore Juniper:

A good low ground cover, though plants take about 2 years to form effective cover. Plants should be spaced about 90cm apart each way.

Propagation of the herb:

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. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process. 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. Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn. Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months.

Cultivation of Shore Juniper:

Sandy seashores all over Japan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Juniperus conferta:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.