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Juniperus horizontalis

Common name:	Creeping Juniper	Family:	Cupressaceae
Author:	Moench.	Botanical references:	200, 204
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Northern N. America - Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to Washington and Maine.
Habitat:	Dry rocky soil, sterile pastures and fields[204].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	J. horizontalis var. argentea[G] J. horizontalis var. douglasii[B,P] J. horizontalis var. glauca[G] J. horizontalis var. variegata[B,P] J. hudsonica[B,P] J. prostrata[B,P] J. repens[B,P] J. virginiana var. prostrata[B,P] Sabina horizontalis[B,P] Sabina prostrata[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Blue Rug Juniper [H], Cedar [E], Creeping Juniper [FEIS,B,DEN1,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	horizontalis = horizontal
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Cypress family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Us Us(Blackfoot)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 1m by 3m . It is hardy to zone 4. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen in October. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Wind. The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Coffee Tea.

The fruits are roasted and used in the preparation of a coffee-like beverage[183].
A tea is made from the young branch tips[183, 257].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Diaphoretic Febrifuge Kidney.

An infusion of the branches, or fleshy cones, has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds and fevers[257]. The cones or branches can also be used as a steam bath[257].
An infusion of the seeds has been used in the treatment of kidney problems[257].

Other Uses

Baby care Ground cover Incense.

A good ground cover plant for a sunny position[208], eventually making a dense cover though it requires weeding for the first year or so[197].
The bark has been crushed and used as a soft hygienic pad in cradles[257]. It has also been used to make mats[257].
The young twigs and leaves have been burnt as an incense[257].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in a sunny position in most soils so long as they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil[11] and succeeding on chalk[200]. Succeeds in dry soils[200].
An aggregate species[204]. There are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value[200]. 'Bar Harbour' is very salt-resistant[200].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is 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[78, 81]. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process[11]. 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[1].
Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn[1, 78].
Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months[78].

Cultivars

'Bar Harbour': A very salt-resistant form[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[FEIS] Data (Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.

References for the family Cupressaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. 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.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[197] Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989 ISBN 0-304-31089-1
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 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.

[204] Livingstone. B. Flora of Canada National Museums of Canada 1978 ISBN 0-660-00025-3
In 4 volumes, it does not deal with plant uses but gives descriptions and habitats.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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